THE FIRST MOSQUE IN ENGLAND

I never knew that the first mosque ever built in England was in Liverpool even though I studied there during the early 80s.   I only learned of its existence from my daughter. 

"On Christmas Day 1889, the Liverpool solicitor and Muslim convert William Abdullah Quilliam opened the doors of what is England's first mosque."



The mosque stopped running in 1908 when Abdullah Quilliam returned to Morocco.

The terrace was subsequently bought by the city council, and used as a register office until the beginning of July 2000.  No wonder I didn't know of its existence during my stay in Liverpool.

Members of the 'Abdullah Quilliam Society' managed to raise enough money to buy the building and renovated it as a Muslim heritage centre.

In 2009 the mosque was restored with a budget of more than £3m. 

 The building is now recognised as part of British Heritage.