Islamic Architecture in Western Europe in Late XX – Early XXI century

Today the problem of building new mosques in Europe is one of the central ones not only for Muslim minorities living in European countries, but also for the European society itself. The aim of this paper is to identify the main trends in the architecture of the modern European mosque. In the course of the study, the history of the construction of functional mosques in Europe during the period from the 7th cent. to the present day was studied. An analysis of the social aspect of the problem of building new mosques in modern European states was conducted. The study attempted to identify the main trends in the development of Islamic architecture in Europe and illustrate them with examples of mosques and cultural centers built in Britain, France, Germany and Italy during the period from 1950s. to the present day. Based on the work done, it was concluded that under the influence of various cultural, political, legal, financial, social and other factors, Islamic architecture in modern Europe is characterized by active interaction with the European urban and architectural context combined with the appeal to various regional styles of traditional Islamic architecture. In addition, the style of the exterior and interior of each particular mosque is often not equable. An important feature of the modern European mosque is the modernist look of the exterior, aimed at creating an atmosphere of openness and friendliness towards the local non-Muslim population, contrasting with the highly traditional decoration of the interior spaces of the mosque, especially the prayer hall. In addition, the mosque in modern Europe is multifunctional and often serves not only as a place of prayer, but also as a cultural and educational center for the local Muslim community.