Vienna Islamic Centre

The Islamic Centre in Vienna's Floridsdorf district is Austria's first major purpose-built mosque, inaugurated in 1979 with Chancellor Bruno Kreisky in attendance. Saudi Arabia funded the project, designed by Austrian architect Richard Lugner for an Islamic community recognised by the state since the Habsburg years of 1912. Its white dome and 32-metre minaret rise from the Bruckhaufen estate beside the Danube, an unusually green corner of Vienna. The prayer hall under the dome can hold around two thousand worshippers, with a separate gallery for women. Today the centre serves as mosque, school and meeting point for Vienna's very diverse Muslim community and is a regular stop for diplomatic visits and, at times, sharp public debate.