THE reconstruction of the popular Queenstown Mosque in Georgetown should be completed within the next two months, and ready to be occupied during the month of Ramadan, the Muslim’s month of fasting. This was revealed by Mr. Sattaur Gafoor, who chairs the committee responsible for the construction of the mosque at Church Street, Queenstown, during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle.
Gafoor related that though the mosque will be used in the next two months, it will not be fully completed with all the proper facilities. He explained that it cannot be fully completed due to the lack of funds to purchase things like air conditioning units, carpets and tiles.
However, he said that these will be installed upon acquisition of additional funds. He disclosed that while construction of the mosque was initially budgeted at US$2M, it is expected to cost approximately 20-25 percent more because of the rise in cost of building materials.
He noted that funds for the construction of this mosque were donated by the Muslim community in Guyana and overseas as well.

1,000 persons
Gafoor said that construction of the mosque began about two years ago, and when completed it will have the capacity to accommodate approximately 1,000 persons.
 The two-storey building is 120 feet by 80 feet. Gafoor said that males and females worship separately and so the ground floor will be used by men, while the top floor will be used by women.
He explained that while the mosque is under construction, arrangements were put in place for its members to worship at the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) in Thomas Lands, Georgetown.
The original Queenstown Mosque was built more than 100 years ago and was one of the first to be built by Muslims in Guyana.
Gafoor noted that it would have been difficult to maintain the old structure since the lumber had started to rot and it was also infected with termites (woodants).
In addition, he said that a bigger mosque was needed since the previous structure could not cater for the rapid growth of the Muslim community.
Most Beautiful
Gafoor stated that when completed, it would be one of the most beautiful mosques in the Caribbean and it is hoped that it would reflect the quality of work that can be achieved when people work together.
Meanwhile, Gafoor related that he also chairs the committee which spearheaded the reconstruction of the Alexander Village Mosque which has been recently completed.
He pointed out that some 250 people worship at this mosque and the old structure also had a lot of problems.
The newly-constructed three-storey building will house a section for worshipping and a teaching complex, while the ground floor will be used for medical outreaches.
Gafoor said that this building has been completed with all facilities, including air conditioning, and is expected to be occupied soon.