A Muslim businessman obtained the necessary licenses to start constructing a mosque to replace one of the famous entertainment attractions in the center of the British capital, London.
According to reports published by several local newspapers in Britain, and viewed by Al Arabiya.net, the well-known businessman and billionaire Asif Aziz obtained licenses in order to convert Trocadero into an Islamic center and mosque in which prayers are held for Muslims daily.
And “Trocadero” is a well-known entertainment landmark located in the heart of London near the famous “Piccadilly” square and close to the “Soho” area, which attracts millions of tourists annually.
In 2020, Aziz, 56, was forced to back down from a previous project to build a mosque that could accommodate a thousand people, after complaints from residents and far-right groups.
The approved plans will see the construction of a mosque that can accommodate 390 worshipers in the three-storey building.
The charity that Aziz owns and heads says the mosque will serve Muslims who work in the area as well as tourists.
A spokesman for the local council in Westminster confirmed, in an interview published in the Daily Mail, that a planning application submitted by the Aziz Foundation to convert part of the London Trocadero into a mosque was approved by the council’s planning committee in May 2023.
Aziz bought the place for more than 220 million pounds (288 million US dollars) in 2005 through his giant real estate company, and it was previously one of the prominent entertainment complexes in London, and it also included a hotel with 490 rooms.
The history of this entertainment center dates back to the year 1896 when it was originally opened as a restaurant, and then it was closed for the first time in 1965, and in the year 1984 it was converted into a major show arena and entertainment center, and in 1997 it became home to the first cinema with (IMAX) 3D technology in Britain. It was downsized in 2011 and part of the building reopened as a hotel three years ago.
Asif Aziz is considered one of the most famous Muslim businessmen in Britain, as he owns a huge chain of real estate in central London, and manages a real estate portfolio worth 3.6 billion pounds sterling throughout the city of London and the southeast of England.
