A new Dushanbe central cathedral mosque is scheduled to be official inaugurated on March 12, an official within the Tajik government told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, the mosque inauguration ceremony will be attended by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Members of a working group on preparation of the ceremony of an official opening of the mosque reportedly include representatives of the government, science and clergy.
“The working group members proposed the president to call the mosque “Khuroson”,” the source said.
He refrained from explaining upon which criteria that proposal was based.
“It is just a suggestion and the final decision will be made by the president,” the source added.
Inauguration of the mosque has been delayed several times due to visit Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Qatar Emir has reportedly asked the Tajik authorities to allow him to participate in a ceremony of inauguration of the mosque and perform prayer in it together with Tajik worshipers.
The construction of the Dushanbe Central Mosque, which is expected to be Central Asia’s largest mosque, has been completed and everyone is waiting for its opening.
Several thousand builders have been engaged in construction of this mosque.
President Emomali Rahmon began construction of this mosque not far from downtown Dushanbe in October 2011.
A total cost of the project is nearly 100 million U.S. dollars; more than half of this amount has reportedly been provided by Qatar.
The mosque is expected to be able to accommodate more than 100,000 worshipers. Tajikistan is now home to the Central Asian largest mosque, dwarfing the Turkmenbashi mosque in neighboring Turkmenistan, which can hold 10,000 people.
