Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Taroudant, Morocco - The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, is reportedly willing to convert “la Plaza de Toros Monumental de Barcelona” or more shortly “la Monumental,” one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, into a gigantic mosque for $2.99 billion by 2020, according to Spanish website 20minuto.
If the city council approves the project, the bullring of Barcelona will be converted into a “40,000-capacity mosque”, which will be the biggest in Europe.
While the Balaña group has not yet officially confirmed the reports, it has already agreed the sale, reports 20minuto.
If the offer comes to fruition, the mosque will include a 300 meter minaret, a museum of Islamic art and history, and a center for Koranic studies.
According to the same source, Barcelona, despite having a large Islamic community, is the only major city in Spain that does not have a mosque.
Inaugurated in 1914 with its first bullfights, la Monumental is one of the oldest bullfighting arenas in Spain, with a gigantic building that mixes the Moorish and Byzantine architecture.
Despite being a popular sport in Spain, “la corrida de toros” (bullfighting) has been banned in Barcelona after the Parliament of Catalonia passed a bullfighting ban in 2010 that came into force in 2012.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed
