King Charles III makes first official royal visit to Cambridge Mosque

King Charles III at Cambridge Central Mosque. Photo: Anadolu Ajansı

King Charles III, the British monarch and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, has made the first official visit by a member of the Royal Family to Cambridge Central Mosque "at a time when Islamophobia and discrimination are on the rise," Anadolu Ajansı reports.

The King toured "Europe's first eco-friendly mosque," which was built with Turkish support. During the visit, he met with imams, trustees, and representatives of the city's Muslim community. Among those present were Türkiye's Ambassador to the United Kingdom Osman Koray Ertaş and members of the Cambridge Mosque Trust.

"For the first time, a British king paid an official visit to a mosque. Previously, his mother, Queen (Elizabeth), paid a visit to a mosque in 2002, but there had not been a visit for 20 years, and a king had never officially visited a mosque before," Cambridge Mosque Trust Board member Zeynep Coskun Koc said.

Charles III was also shown the exhibition Science and Technology in Islam, highlighting the contributions of Islamic civilization to scientific progress. He received two gifts: a glass paperweight inspired by the architecture of the Selimiye Mosque and a copy of Fuat Sezgin's work on the history of Islamic science.

The King was also presented with a letter from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inviting him to visit Türkiye. The meeting was attended by the local bishop and rabbi as well.

As the UOJ previously reported, the UK government is introducing a new definition of "anti-Muslim hatred."

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