Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, and the Dodecanese have an abundance of places to pray and enjoy religious freedom. The mosques are often called by the Turkish word ‘Camii’ (pronounced Jamii similar to the Arabic Jami’aa). Places to pray in other regions of Greece are often hidden in buildings, garages, and information online can be misleading. A piece of good advice to follow, is to ask Muslim locals where they pray, when visiting halal restaurants or areas with dominant Muslim minorities.
Fethiye Mosque, Athens
On November 3rd, 2020 the authorities of Athens allowed the first official mosque. For decades, Athenian Muslims made do with adapted buildings to congregate and pray. Athens was the only capital in Europe with no official mosque but with the lobbying and hard work of many Greek Muslims, the Fethiye mosque has finally opened its doors.
New Temenos (Yeni Mosque), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
This beautiful Ottoman mosque founded in 1585 allows worshippers to appreciate the distinctive architectural design developed in the Ottoman empire. Once you step in you’ll be transported to the elaborate interiors of the mosques in Istanbul.
Sunneh Mosque, Xanthi
A simple mosque that is still open for worshippers and has withstood the reconstruction and removal of minarets that a lot of other mosques in Greece experienced.
Ibrahim Pasha Mosque, Rhodes
This is the only original Ottoman mosque still functioning as a place of prayer in Rhodes. It is a beautiful capsule of Islamic history and worth the promenade through the old town.