El Mouhssinine mosque

In the mid nineteenth century, Nieuwendammerham was impoldered and made suitable for industry. Further inland, housing was built for workers and stately villas for their employers were constructed on the main connecting route: Meeuwenlaan. The villas were built in the period 1910-1920, as was the bank building at the corner of Valkenweg.

In 2005, this block was converted into a Moroccan mosque, El Mouhssinine, to a design by the architect Gerard Rijnsdorp. The building had housed the mosque for twelve years, but following the redevelopment, with its striking colours and minaret, it is now clearly recognizable as an Islamic place of prayer. The green colour of the tiles is the traditional colour of Islam and refers to paradise. The blue tiles refer to heaven, cleanliness, clarity and honesty. The building contains, among other things, a prayer space, a washroom, a classroom and a coffee room. (ARCAM/VKB)