Mosques built by first generation immigrant communities tended to emulate South Asian Islamic styles of achitecture says the author of new book which charts the history and cultural significance of the buildings in the UK
The British Mosque is published by Historic England and presents the first ever overview and explanation of Islamic architecture in Britain.
Speaking to Asian Image author Shahed Saleem said, "The oldest mosques were the Liverpool Muslim Institute of 1887, which was set up in a converted terraced house. And the Woking mosque of 1889.
"I could date Woking quite easily because there were some articles in the press when it was opened.
"Liverpool was harder to date, and I had to consult with some historians about this."
The mosque though has evolved.
He said, "There were some interesting early mosques in Cardiff, built in the 1940s and 1960s that were very interesting, but both have since been demolished and replaced with newer buildings.
"I also found mosques that were in converted churches very interesting, as they generally retained the original church buildings really well."
He said more modern mosques were purpose built, "Most mosques have been formed through the adaptation and conversion of existing buildings, so there is quite a lot of variety in these because of the different buildings that they have started in.
"Many mosques that are purpose-built today are built in a traditional Islamic style, and this has been the general trend for mosques over their history.
"There are a few examples where mosques have tried to adopt some modern approaches."
The Ghamkol Sharif Mosque is a landmark building which combines Islamic forms with local materials.
Mosques also tended to emulate the cultural backgrounds of those who built them. Shahed said, "Most mosques have been built post-Partition, so they have been mostly built by South Asian communities.
"The first mosques that these communities built, that started emerging from the 1960s to eighties did emulate South Asian Islamic styles.
"The mosques that came later, from the 1990s onwards took on a more generic traditional Islamic style that mixed Arab and South Asian references."
There were also differences between those mosques built in smaller Northern towns and those in major cities, "Some of the smaller towns, such as Blackburn and Preston had a much higher proportion of purpose-built mosques than larger cities.
"Communities generally try to build as large as they can, whether in small or large towns, to accommodate growing congregations.
(left to right) Chief Executive of Historic England Duncan Wilson, Heritage Minister Michael Ellis, Director General of Regent's Park Mosque Dr Ahmad Al Dubayan and author of The British Mosque Shahed Saleem, inside the prayer hall at the Regent's Park Mosque in London, which was recently listed at Grade II* by Historic England. (Kirsty O'Connor/PA)
And what was the grandest mosque and most difficult to design and build in his opinion?
Shahed said, "The Regent’s Park Mosque, that has just been listed Grade II* is still the most majestic prayer hall.
"I think the next mosque to be built to this level of architectural ambition will be the Cambridge Mosque, which is on site at the moment."
The British Mosque: An Architectural and Social History by Shahed Saleem is published by Historic England. It is priced £60.
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