Opened in 1985, the East London Mosque serves the UK’s largest Muslim community, with congregations of up to 6,000 worshippers coming through its impressive doors every day. Keen to open these doors to the masses, photo journalism student Rehan Jamil set about documenting daily life within the mosque’s walls for his final project at Tower Hamlets College back in 1997. A decade later he finally finished and his exhibition, Islamic Culture and Customs, has now gone on display at Bruce Castle.

“The project just grew and grew and I didn’t know where to stop,” the 31-year-old east Londoner recalls. “Then, after 9/11, it became an important set of images for people who wanted to learn more about Muslims and what goes on behind the closed doors of a mosque. It’s a nice way to understand the basics of Islam.”

Rehan’s great affection and personal connection to the mosque is present in all of the 24 black and white images – some of which featured in a British Council touring show, Common Ground, which visited Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, the Middle East and the Gulf States between 2003 and 2006.

A regular worshipper at the East London Mosque since he was a little boy, Rehan muses: “When I was younger, I didn’t like going to the mosque, it was a bit boring, but as I got older it became more interesting and I starting looking more at my religion.

“I’m a Londoner, born in White Chapel to Pakistani parents, but above all I was born a Muslim and it was a privilege to have grown up near the East London Mosque.”

Speaking about the mosque’s unique appeal, he adds: “There were always things going on at the mosque. You don’t just walk in, pray and leave. You can have a laugh, meet friends, and find out information about what’s going on in the community. I think it is leading the way for other mosques.”

Describing his photographs as “education tools”, Rehan, a freelance photographer currently working with the government’s New Deal for Communities urban regeneration programme, explains this ten-year project also educated him in many ways.

“Because of its central location, people from the Oriental community, local restaurant workers, Russian and Eastern European people and worshippers from the north African community, all accompany the majority Bangladeshi community in prayer,” he observes. “It’s quite a mix of people and you learn about all these different cultures and it’s interesting to see the slight differences between how the different cultures pray.”

Now working on shorter photo stories, Rehan’s current project focuses on fried chicken shops and just “how unhealthy it can be”, but his aims as a photographer remain the same.

“I would like people to look at my images and my stories and have a discussion or just talk with colleagues, friends and family, whether they agree or not,” he concludes. “Talking and debating is healthy, it’s when people aren’t talking that is becomes a problem.”

Islamic Culture and Customs runs at Bruce Castle, Lordship Lane, London, until March 2010. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 1pm-5pm. Details: 020 8808 8772 or www.haringey.gov.uk