One of Preston’s newest mosques is marking Heritage Open Days later this month with an exhibition displaying the journey and history of Asian and Muslim migration to Preston along with a tour of the mosque.

Volunteers at the mosque, Masjid-e-Salaam on Watling Street Road, Fulwood, have been collecting old photographs, passports, oral histories and other artefacts for the special first-of-its-kind exhibition which includes details of Preston’s first recorded Muslim funeral and burial in 1906. Alongside the exhibition, the mosque will open its doors to members of the public for organised tours.

Imam Amjad Yousuf from the Fulwood mosque said, “This is the first time that our mosque and community in Preston are marking Heritage Open Days and we’re very excited to welcome the people of Preston.

"We can guarantee an informative and insightful tour of our lovely mosque. Along with that, we’ve also got an exhibition celebrating Asians and Muslims in Preston which people I’m sure will find very interesting. T "The bulk of material relates to families that moved to Preston to meet labour shortages in the post-Second World War economic boom.”

Ismaeel Nakhuda, a journalist and history enthusiast from Preston, said, “It’s really good to see the Muslim community in Preston getting involved in Heritage Open Days and we’re hoping this event will shed light on a type of history that is often overlooked.

"Our team has ploughed in a lot of effort to map the history of Asians and Muslims in Preston.

"The exhibition is particularly interesting as we’ve recently uncovered some really interesting information about a Moroccan gentleman who died and was buried in Preston in 1906. This will be the first time that his story will be on display in an exhibition of this sort.”

The exhibition includes family heirlooms, memorabilia and old black and white photographs of some of Preston’s early Asians from the late 1950s and 1960s.

The event is being supported by Harris Museum, which has contributed with items related to the Courtaulds textile factory where many of the city’s Asians worked, and Lancashire Archives (Lancashire County Council) which will also be attending the event.

Tours of the Masjid-e-Salaam on Watling Street Road (PR2 8EA) will be held over two weekends: 8-9 and 15-16 September, from 2.15pm to 4pm.

The exhibition will be held across the road at the Salaam Education Centre over both weekends from 10am to 5pm.

Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture, bringing together over 2,500 organisations, 5,000 events and 40,000 volunteers.