Russia sets example of peaceful coexistence of various religions - Turkish leader

MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. The Russian Federation is a vivid example of good-neighborliness and peaceful coexistence of various religions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the opening of Moscow’s Grand Mosque on Wednesday. "Russia sets a very vivid example of good-neighborliness and peaceful coexistence of people of various religions and ethnic roots. And today we see Moscow gathering the variety of nations, uniting their common spiritual values, creating a single living space and setting a wonderful example for the future," Erdogan said. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the heads of the Russian republics of Chechnya, Tatarstan, Ingushetia and Dagestan, as well as thousands of worshippers are attending the mosque’s opening. Moscow’s Grand Mosque has opened after a decade of construction work to become one of the biggest places of worship in Europe. As a result of the construction work, the building’s floor space has been increased twenty-fold to 19,000 square meters and the mosque will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 people simultaneously. The mosque was originally expected to open in May 2016, but authorities decided to speed up the work and hold the opening ceremony this year celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Russia’s largest, the Heart of Chechnya, is located in Chechnya’s capital Grozny and can accommodate more than 10,000 worshippers. The Grand Mosque in Moscow, built in 1904, is the second largest and has been under reconstruction since 2005, costing some $170 million. Read more