Chechnya Unveils Europe’s Largest Mosque in Grand Ceremony

This ceremony brought together 200 guests from 43 countries. They responded massively to the invitation of President Ramzan Kadyrov, known as one of the right-hand men of the Russian President, who has made him the strongman of this predominantly Muslim region.

The new mosque, "Muhammad", which now reigns in Shali, near the capital Grozny, further strengthens the anchoring of this region in the Muslim religion. According to President Ramzan Kadyrov, it stands as a "unique building in its design, and majestic in its size and beauty", reports Saphirnews. It has a capacity to accommodate 30,000 worshippers, while its courtyard can accommodate an additional 70,000 worshippers. This makes the Chechen authorities say that it is by far the largest mosque in Europe.

Supported by his supporters for the stability he has brought to the region, President Ramzan Kadyrov is criticized by his detractors who constantly point to the many cases of human rights violations in his territory. Before the "Muhammad" mosque, Ramzan Kadyrov had already built many mosques throughout the Russian republic, including the "Akhmad Kadyrov" mosque, named after the President’s father, inaugurated in Grozny in 2008.