Central mosque ready next Ramadan

Work on the Ghana National Mosque Complex at Kanda in Accra is expected to be completed next year for commissioning during next year’s Ramadan.

The $10 million project which commenced in the later part of December 2012 is at advanced and artisans and engineers are working around the clock to meet the deadline.

The mosque is 33 metres high from base to the top and 19 metres in diameter. It has a main dome supported by half domes. The half domes are also supported by quarter domes.

The ultra modern mosque has three entrances.

Out of the four minarets, two have been completed; the third one is almost complete after which the last one will be constructed. Each minaret is 61 metres high with two balconies.

Briefing The Finder Alhaji Billy Bramah a member of construction technical Committee and General Secretary of Council of Chiefs said the edifice comprises a main mosque and an open area capable of containing between 5,500 and 6000 people at a time.

He explained that all the walls would be covered with special marble form Turkey while the domes would be covered with lead metal sheets.

He disclosed that part of the lead just arrived in the country recently from Turkey, and they would soon be used to cover the domes adding that the floor of the mosque would be covered with carpets.

Alhaji Bramah said out of the $10million voted for the complex, between $5.5 million and $6million would be spent on the mosque while the rest would be used to construct one Teacher Training College, one Senior High School (SHS), and two administrative blocks, one to serve as office of the National Chief Imam.

He said the Teacher Training College was to compliment government’s efforts aimed at producing enough teachers to close the current deficit.

Partners implementing the project are National Chief Imam, Presidency of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Human Development International (HUDAI) and Ghana Friendship and Solidarity Association (GANADER), a Turkish Non-Governmental Organisations.

GANADER mobilized the $10 million for the project through donations from the people of Alhaji Bramah stated that Ghanaian Muslims also continue to donate cash and building materials to support the project.

He said they have resolved to speed up work and complete the project by next year’s Ramadan.

According to him, Turkish experts working on the project are transferring technical know-how to their Ghanaian counterparts saying two Ghanaians are working on the third minaret.

The land for the mosque was handed over to the National Chief Imam, Shiekh Dr Nuhu Sharubutu, in 1995 by former President Rawlings in replacement of a mosque demolished for the construction of the Rawlings Park in Accra.

Construction works were first started by ‘the Ghana Muslim Community’ but it was abandoned for almost 10 years due to the lack of funding.

However, the concerned Muslim Youth of Ghana took over by sourcing funds for the work to restart.