Read How A Catholic Church Was Turned Into A Mosque Recently

A report in the influential New York Times chronicles how a Catholic church has been transformed into a mosque in the city of Venice, Italy.

According to the report, for the next seven months Venice will find itself in the middle of a constant debate about Islam’s place in Europe.

On Friday, as part of the Venice Biennale, a former Catholic church in the Cannaregio neighborhood will open its doors as a functioning mosque, its walls adorned with Arabic script, its floor covered with a prayer rug angled toward Mecca and its crucifix mosaics hidden behind a towering prayer niche.

Venice, known for its arts and alluring architectural beauty, remains one of the few European cities without a mosque near its historic centre, which has left Islamic residents with no choice than to pray in storerooms and shops.

Against a backdrop of rising Islamophobia in Venice and Italy in general and fears like those in France which had to deal with a terrorist attack recently, Muslim leaders in Venice said they saw the proposal to create a temporary mosque as a perfect way to communicate their desire to more fully participate in the life of their city."