[vc_row][vc_column 0=””][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”” add_button=”left” btn_title=”Donate to Build Punchbowl Mosque” btn_style=”3d” btn_color=”success” btn_align=”center” btn_link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fpunchbowlmosque|||”] Alhamdulillah, by the Grace of Allah (SWT) the construction of the Punchbowl Mosque in Sydney, Australia is nearing completion. Fixtures and fittings, mihrab and mimbar, calligraphy and carpets are left to go. We invite you at this exciting stage to help finish the Mosque by donating generously. Share widely with family and friends. Let them also share in the great rewards of building a house of worship for Allah’s sake.[/vc_cta][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column 0=””][vc_column_text]

A Marriage of Tradition and Modernity

Sydney’s newest mosque was designed by someone you may not expect. Angelo Candalepas, a Greek Orthodox Christian, was approached by the Muslim community in Punchbowl to design a brand new mosque. He decided it to make it completely unique.The interior walls of the mosque are covered with ‘half-domes’. Each dome will be hand decorated with one of the ninety-nine names of Allah. This process will take an estimated time of 3 months.

“I’ve never felt like an outsider”, says Candalepas. “I’m part of your community, [even though] you have a different faith.”

The mosque has been highlighted for its marriage of traditional Islamic features, such as domes and arches, with a more modern aesthetic.

It was prominently featured by the Sydney Architecture Festival, which held an open-day at the mosque with the architect to introduce the building and its concept to the community

The mosque’s unique aesthetic comes from the hundreds of raw concrete half-domes, each inscribed with one of the 99 names of Allah, as well as a pinhole to create an interwoven display of natural light on the mosque floor.

Whilst this was the mosque’s first open day, the ongoing construction has taken over 10 years, at a cost of $12 million. Scheduled to be finished by next year, the mosque will be open to all non-Muslims interested in finding out more about Islam. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]