1984/92 Paolo Portoghesi (1931) and Vittorio Gigliotti (1921) in collaboration with Sami Moussawi. Inaugurated in 1995
It is the largest mosque in Europe. Area of 34,000 m² (8.4 acres) which includes the Islamic Cultural Centre
The vast prayer hall has a capacity of about 3,000 people
The minaret is the only one in the world without loudspeakers
The land was offered by the Italian Government in 1975. The project was primarily funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its King Faisal, but there were contributions from 23 Arab and Islamic countries. The Moroccan government sent skilled workers for the ceramic decorations
"The great expansion of Islam has produced architectural cultures that have marked differences between them, mixing the Islamic culture with the local traditions. (...) For this reason the Roman Mosque is the synthesis of various architectural models and clear intertwined traditions: from the Persian type, where there is a strong mediation between interior and exterior spaces, also used in Etruscan architecture, to the Ottoman mosques (Hagia Sophia) with the presence of the large central dome and the value of spatial unity. To resume Roman tradition highly symbolical materials have been used, such as tuff and white marble, but also the peristyle of the mosque recalls the arches of the imperial Fora of ancient Rome. (...) The small domes are inspired by Borromini but also Guarini and Vittone have strongly influenced the Mosque" (Paolo Portoghesi)
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