Manchester Central Mosque

Manchester Central Mosque stands in Victoria Park, a green space in south Manchester. It is often called the Victoria Park Mosque or Jamia Mosque. The building sits close to the Curry Mile, a street famous for its many South Asian restaurants. The mosque plays a central part in the life of Manchester’s Muslim community. Two well-known imams, Hafiz Mueen ud Din Akhtar and Qari Hafiz Javed Akhtar, once led the mosque and led special Ramadan prayers. The mosque began in the early 20th century when two houses in Victoria Park were bought by Syrian textile merchants and Asian families from Rusholme and Longsight. In 1971, the Jamiat-ul-Muslimeen organisation started building a new mosque on the site. The old houses were removed and the present mosque was completed. Over the years, further work has enlarged and changed parts of the building. Inside, the mosque follows the Barelwi tradition from the Indian subcontinent. Its halls and courtyards provide space for prayer and community events. The surroundings of Victoria Park add calm to the busy city. The mosque remains an important place for worship and gathering in Manchester.