By RIA Novosti,
Dushanbe : Tajikistan is planning to build the world’s largest mosque here by 2014 with help from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a presidential spokesman said Monday.
UAE firm Adnan Saffarini will construct the mosque, while Qatar will finance the project.
“The mosque is expected to accommodate about 150,000 people. Its construction is expected to start in Dushanbe in October,” the spokesman said.
The building, which is to reflect Tajikistan’s traditional architecture, will cover 7.5 hectares (18.5 acres) of area, the spokesman said.
“The mosque will be decorated with a majestic minaret, seven painted columns, embodying the seven steps of God creating the world and the seven gates to paradise, as well as water reservoirs and fountains,” he said.
The mosque will also house conference halls where high-level meetings can be held. It will also have a museum and a library.
Ninety percent of the population in Tajikistan is Muslim.