Dushanbe, NU Online
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on Thursday attended the groundbreaking ceremony for what will eventually become the largest mosque in the Commonwealth of the Independent States (CIS).

The event marks the second time that Tajikistan has attempted to start construction on the mosque project. A block of stone was first laid at the location in October 2009.

The mosque, when completed in three to four years, is expected to hold 115,000 worshippers. The region’s current largest mosque, in Turkmenbashi in neighboring Turkmenistan, currently seats 10,000.

The mosque will boast four minarets each 214 feet high, with a dome that is expected to reach 155 feet tall. The space will also contain a large prayer hall and a small prayer hall, the Tajik news agency AsiaPlus.tj reported on Wednesday.

Visitors to the mosque will also be able to enjoy a museum, concert halls and a library.

The mosque will cost $100 million to construct, with the Tajik government providing $30 million of the funds. Qatar will fund the bulk of the mosque, contributing $70 million to its construction.

Over 1,000 local construction workers will be employed at the site, under the supervision of Tajik firm Somon Sokhtmon. (dar)