Non-Christian places of Worship
The Great Mosque, the Synagogue,
the new Buddhist Temple

the Roma's great Mosque

by Emiliano Pretto

Rome is traditionally the world centre of Catholicism, but it accommodates people of many faiths and denominations. Just a few minutes by car from the city’s historic centre, with its baroque and renaissance cupolas and the austere bell-towers of medieval churches, you can find Europe’s largest Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre.

The mosque, designed by prize-winning Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi, was opened in 1995 after 11 years of work. Built on a low-lying wooded area three and a half miles northeast of the Vatican, the $50 million project was financed by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.

Obviously, the Mosque is first and foremost a place of worship. But Portoghesi’s building is also one of extraordinary beauty. Dozens of sinuous-shaped pillars, typical of Islamic architecture, remind one of a gothic cathedral or perhaps of trees in a forest as they soar up to the vaulted roof.
The interior is restful, restrained and elegant, with a soft blue light diffused throughout.
The great dome, supported by a series of five-branched columns and intertwining arches, symbolising the five pillars of Islam (faith, prayer, paying of alms, fasting and pilgrimage), seems to float above the vast empty central space. The only decorations are the magnificent mosaics around the galleries and covering the Holy Door that indicates the direction of Mecca.
The project was not without controversy. Original plans to make the minaret higher than the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica were shelved.

The Islamic cultural centre and mosque are discreetly concealed from the city’s historic centre. The impressive vaulted roof and towering minaret can only be seen from a few vantage points.
Rome’s Jewish community is the oldest in the Western world, dating back to the second century BC. Until the start of the 20th century five small synagogues were dotted across the Jewish ghetto. But in 1904 the Great Synagogue was built on the banks of the Tiber.

the Rome's synagogue

The eclectic style of the building makes it stand out even in a city known for notable buildings and structures. This attention-grabbing design was a deliberate choice made by the community at the time who wanted the building to be a visible celebration of their freedom and to be seen from many vantage points in the city. The glistening aluminium dome is the only squared dome in the city and makes the building easily identifiable even from a distance.

On a far more modest scale is Italy's first Chinese Buddhist temple which opened in Rome’s multi-ethnic Esquilino district in 2005. The temple is located in a former garage and serves the thriving Chinese population in the capital. Plans are underway to build a far larger temple to meet the needs of the constantly expanding Chinese community.