OSH, Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan's largest mosque has formally opened in the southern city of Osh on the second anniversary of ethnic clashes in the country that killed more than 400 people and left tens of thousands displaced.
Several days of violence between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz was sparked in Osh on June 10, 2010.
President Almazbek Atambaev told a crowd at the opening ceremony that Islam is "a religion of unity" and that every citizen of Kyrgyzstan should remember they are part of "a single nation."
The mosque has a maximum capacity of 20,000 people.
It was built using money raised by local citizens, as well as with financial support from the governments of Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Several days of violence between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz was sparked in Osh on June 10, 2010.
President Almazbek Atambaev told a crowd at the opening ceremony that Islam is "a religion of unity" and that every citizen of Kyrgyzstan should remember they are part of "a single nation."
The mosque has a maximum capacity of 20,000 people.
It was built using money raised by local citizens, as well as with financial support from the governments of Turkey and Saudi Arabia.