The Maryam Mosque, also known as the Maria Mosque (), is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

located in Rediu, in the

Bâra Bâra is a commune in Neamț County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bâra, Negrești, and Rediu. In Rediu, in the summer of 2014, the Maryam Mosque for Romanian converts to Islam Islam is an Abrahamic re ...

commune (

Neamț County Neamț County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in the historic region of Moldavia, with the county seat at Piatra Neamț. The county takes its name from the Neamț River. Demographics Population In 2011, it had a population of 470,766 ...

) in

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, for Romanian

converts Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Convert'', a 2023 film produced by Jump Film & Television and Brouhaha Entertainment * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * ...

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. It was inaugurated in the summer of 2014 by Daniel Cîniparu, a Transylvanian from

Turda Turda (; , ; ; ) is a Municipiu, city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the European route E81, and from nearby Câmpia ...

who moved to Rediu as the lands there were cheaper. He built there one house for his family and one building for practicing Islam, the Maryam Mosque. The Maryam Mosque was built through

funds Funding is the act of providing resources to finance a need, program, or project. While this is usually in the form of money, it can also take the form of effort or time from an organization or company. Generally, this word is used when a firm us ...

donated by foreigners, Muslims from birth and converted Romanians. At its foundation attended the local authorities of Bâra and several Muslims throughout Romania. Cîniparu claimed that, at the time of the foundation of the mosque, there were about 12 Muslims within a radius around Rediu, although his family was the only Muslim one in the village. Daniel Cîniparu's wife, Maria Cîniparu, had willingly converted to Islam as well, and both had three children, all of them baptized Orthodox Christians. The mosque does not adhere to any specific branch of Islam. Cîniparu has said that he has received insults for his decision and that he admires

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...

for the peaceful coexistence of religions there. As of 2015, the Maryam Mosque served 8 people. As of 2017, between 18 and 20 people had converted in the mosque, mostly Romanians but also some foreigners, who were originally Orthodox or

Greek Catholic Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church may refer to: * The Catholic Church in Greece * The Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Ea ...

References

{{Mosques in Romania Mosques in Romania Mosques completed in 2014 2014 establishments in Romania Buildings and structures in Neamț County

See also

References