King_Fahd_Islamic_Cultural_Center
King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center
Mosque in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Other options The Islamic Cultural Center "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd in Argentina" (Spanish: Centro Cultural Islámico "Custodio de las Dos Sagradas Mezquitas, Rey Fahd" abbrevriated CCIAR) is a mosque and center for Islamic culture located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[3] It is named after King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.
It became the largest mosque in Latin America, after President Carlos Menem's 1995 grant of 34,000 m² of municipal land in the Palermo section of Buenos Aires, following a state visit to Saudi Arabia.[4]
Inaugurated in 2000, the mosque and cultural center was constructed as a gift from the Saudi government on land donated by the Argentine government.[5] It was designed by Saudi architect Zuhair Fayez, and includes prayer halls with capacities for 1,200 men and 400 women, respectively. The cultural center hosts a primary and secondary school, as well as a divinities school and a dormitory for 50 students.[4]
Due to its location, it is also known as La mezquita de Palermo.[2][1]
Apart of religious activities, the Center also organises sporting and social events such as football and cricket matches (for men exclusively), and Arabian language classes, all of them are free and open to public.[1]
