Abu Taymiyyah Minnesota

History and Art

A relatively new cultural center in a modern setting, with an innovative Islamic education initiative. The center has been located downtown on the second level from the Public Bridge and a bike path around the block. The Islamic center features several mosaic stained glass windows and some intricate doors made from glass. The facility was renovated in a 2015 art-deco style. The grounds are a hub for various activities surrounding the center and in the neighborhood. They feature a bazaar, volleyball court, swimming pool, nature center, and a fitness center.

The center features some renowned Egyptian poets like Ahmed Farouk Gharey, Ali b. Faris; the American poet, Henry Miller and the poet Shahida Rushdi.

Various Arabic and Islamic music CDs are available for use at the center and services for a community to meet and socialize.

Signs inside the center provide some information about Arabic culture such as Islamic prayers and suhada, the Islamic prayer at the end of which there is recital.

Throughout the facility, murals depict murals in honor of various Egyptian saints.

Around 50 students have received the Islamic Education Initiatives for Learning in the Arts (ILETI) Program which provides after-school and summer intensive Arabic immersion programs.

Located within the mosque itself is the newly built religious education center which features an interior courtyard with a central fountain. The center includes student training rooms, study rooms, auditoriums, seminar room space with plasma screens for discussion and lectures, computer support, television, and a community meeting area.

One of the mosque's features is an arcaded courtyard which provides a space to study Arabic with a decorative water feature in the courtyard. The courtyard also has a sauna and, in the summer months, an aquatic gym for kids to play in.

The facility hosts many other activities every day on weekends as well as school events and other programs. The mosque is home to an Arabic-interfaith center and also has a good collection of Iraqi and Persian books in Arabic, English, and Kurdish.

Nearby Neighborhood

East Side:

The neighborhood to the north west of the city center is home to many high-rises which use the elevated building material for stairwells and entrance hallways.