First mosque in Athens opened

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ATHENS, Greece: The first mosque in Athens since the 19th century has opened here.

The inaugural prayers at the mosque located in Votanikos area were led by 49-year-old Imam Zaki Muhammad maintaining the social distance.

The decision to build the mosque was first taken in 2006 with a budget of $1.04 million.

However, the process had been delayed due to protests by far-right groups and bureaucratic and legal hurdles.

Around 500,000 Muslims live in Greece.