Athens mosque inaugurated, to open for prayer by September

Education and Religious Affairs Minister Costas Gavroglou inaugurated the capital's first official mosque on Friday though the facility is not expected to open for prayers before September as the appointment of an imam and other staff are pending and next month's snap election is certain to delay procedures.

In a speech to reporters and members of the Muslim community, Gavroglou hailed the facility in the downtown industrial district of Votanikos as a "dignified place of prayer for Muslims whether they are citizens, migrants or visitors." 

The imam selected for the job, Moroccan Zaki Mohammed, thanked the Greek people "who accepted us as Greek citizens and Muslims and the state which helped us to get this place."