Grand Mosque of Rome (Centro Islamico Culturale)

The largest mosque in Western Europe and one of the largest in the entire non-Islamic world — opened in 1995 after decades of negotiation with Italian and Vatican authorities. Designed by Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi together with Vittorio Gigliotti and Iraqi architect Sami Mousawi, the mosque blends Islamic architectural traditions with Italian craftsmanship: a vast central dome surrounded by 16 smaller domes, a 43-metre minaret deliberately one metre shorter than St. Peter's dome (out of respect), and an interior of soaring forest-like clustered columns inspired by traditional hypostyle mosques. Holds up to 12,000 worshippers and serves as the main centre for Italy's Sunni Muslim community. In the elegant Parioli district, north of Villa Borghese.