The Kobe Mosque

The mosque Kobe serves the Muslim community of Kansai. Open for five daily prayers and the two holiday prayers. Muslims can contact the office of the mosque regarding zakat, Islamic marriage, funerals and of the Council on Islamic issues. There is a children's school and there are also classes for adults. The Japanese name 'Kobe' can be translated into English as 'Gate of God', it is thus not surprising that the first mosque that was built in Japan, was established in the city of Kobe. In the early twentieth century, especially after the First world war, many Muslim merchants are opening offices in Kobe. They wanted to establish a place where they could worship together, and in 1928 they created the Islamic Committee for Kobe. Mr. A. K. Workers went to India to collect donations so that the mosque could be built. The Muslim community has increased in size at this time, due to the many Turkish Muslims who emigrated from Russia to avoid the negative effects of the Russian Revolution. Muslims Kobe received permission from the Japanese Emperor to build a mosque, and construction began on the design of the Indian architect, based on traditional Turkish model. The mosque Kobe officially opened for prayer in October 1935. The opening ceremony was attended by the mayor of Kobe, which in its appeal to all Muslims Kobe assembled there, called the Mosque Kobe as the 'Mecca of Japan'. This description is the most appropriate, because the Mosque Kobe is the gathering place for Muslim merchants and sailors from all parts of the Muslim world, and continues to this day to serve a wide range of Muslims of all nationalities.