Before the Prince George Mosque, the nearest mosque was 600 kilometers away.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, OTTAWA — The Prince George Islamic Center, located in the far northwest of British Columbia, Canada, is celebrating its 10th anniversary since opening in 2011. It is the first mosque to be built in the northern region of the Province.

According to Lila Mansour, 22, a law student in Toronto, said she still remembers vividly the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the mosque. In the past, the city’s Muslim community rented places at the local motel and church to gather and offer prayers. The nearest mosque to northerners at the time was in Kelowna, more than 600 kilometers south of Prince George.

According to him, local mosques are very important for young Muslims to come together with religious communities. The existence of the mosque also gives them a connection with each other.

“A lot of times when you don’t have a place of your own to go to in a place of worship, you don’t always feel a close attachment or feel unrecognized,” Mansour says. Radio Canada, Monday (6/12)

The Muslim Community of Prince George has purchased a 1.2 acre lot on 5th Avenue and Foothills Boulevard in the downtown area and has requested rezoning in 2004 to build a mosque. A Vancouver-based architect, Sharif Senbel, was commissioned to work on the project.

Senbel said the Prince George Mosque, inspired by the city’s topography, was one of his most successful projects. The roof under the 7,000 square foot mosque rises gently according to the terrain on which the building stands. The intersection geometry of the mosque’s roof form is inspired by the orthogonal urban network of Prince George.