Mosque opens doors downtown

He said the city was lacking a large place of worship for local Muslim community members who have had to travel to other locations for congregational prayers. The historic building, which had been vacant for more than 18 months before being purchased for $150,000, was built in 1901 as a Baptist temple and features a dome atop the roof, three arch stainedglass windows, a large podium backdrop of organ pipes, and original wood trim throughout. There is 9,250 square feet of space that includes a large prayer hall on the second floor, multipurpose halls, commercial kitchen and classrooms on the first floor. Parking space is behind the mosque. NAFIS is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 that defines its mission as enabling Muslims in the U.S. to learn, practice and promote Islam in a manner that combines deep spirituality with civic engagement while cooperating with people of other faiths to achieve common goals.