Official opening of Dushanbe Central Mosque postponed again

A new Dushanbe central cathedral mosque was  scheduled to be officially inaugurated on March 12 in the presence of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

“As part of measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country, the official opening of the mosque has been postponed to a later date,” a source within the Tajik government told Asia-Plus in an interview.   

A new date of the official inauguration of Dushanbe Central Mosque is still unknown, the source added.   

The construction of the Dushanbe Central Mosque, which is expected to be Central Asia’s largest mosque, has been completed and everyone is waiting for its opening.

Several thousand builders have been engaged in construction of this mosque.

President Emomali Rahmon began construction of this mosque not far from downtown Dushanbe in October 2011.

A total cost of the project is nearly 100 million U.S. dollars; more than half of this amount has reportedly been provided by Qatar.

The mosque is expected to be able to accommodate more than 100,000 worshipers.  Tajikistan is now home to the Central Asian largest mosque, dwarfing the Turkmenbashi mosque in neighboring Turkmenistan, which can hold 10,000 people.

Recall, the Tajik government has made a decision to suspend mosque prayers as a precaution against the spreading of the coronavirus in the country. 

The government also canceled traditional public festivities related to the upcoming Navrouz celebrations in Dushanbe.

No confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Tajikistan.