The opening of the Islamic Center and Mosque in Rijeka, Croatia The mosque in Rijeka is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture

The mosque is the result of decades-old aspirations of Muslims in Rijeka to have adequate religious space. Now they have, and what a space it is; one of the most beautiful religious buildings in Europe. The most interesting fact is that the design was not defined by architects but by one of the most prominent Croatian sculptors Dusan Dzamonja (b. 1928 - d. 2009). He created a miniature model of the mosque, reflecting his well-known abstract sculptures. Later, the architects Darko Vlahovic and Branko Vucinovic have undertaken the task to implement this conceptual idea in order to achieve the superior aesthetics of the project.

The mosque's dome is shaped in five separate parts that visually constitute a single object. When creating the design of the dome, Dusan Dzamonja probably had in mind the rich tradition of dome construction in Ottoman mosques on the shores of the Mediterranean. With his sculptural approach, he gave 'the new meaning to the old theme.'

The successful 'playing' with basic geometric shapes led to the fact that the building is considered more of a functional sculpture, intended for culture and religion, rather than the usual architectural building. And this is what makes the mosque in Rijeka artistically valuable and unique.

The main entrance of the Mosque in Rijeka / Courtesy of Islamic Community in Rijeka

South-west side of the Mosque in Rijeka / Courtesy of Islamic Community in Rijeka

The night view of the Mosque in Rijeka / Courtesy of Islamic Community in Rijeka

Another night view of the Mosque in Rijeka / Courtesy of Islamic Community in Rijeka

The associate architects on the project were: Dora Vlahovic, Luka Vlahovic, Dubravka Surkan-Horvat and Davor Mauser. The construction of the Mosque was mainly sponsored by the state of Qatar.