Council of State green-lights construction of Athens mosque

The Council of State has approved the government’s decision to construct a mosque in the central Athens neighborhood of Votanikos.

The state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency reported on Tuesday that a plenary session of Greece’s highest administrative court led to the 1.1-million-euro project, which has been dogged by numerous delays, being given the green light.

A consortium comprising the firms J&P Avax, Terna, Aktor and Intrakat was chosen in November to undertake the mosque’s construction on a plot of land that formerly belonged to the Hellenic Navy following four failed attempts to find a taker.

The project has been beset by delays since it was announced in 2000 following opposition by residents and the Orthodox Church, which had initially objected to the construction of a mosque with minarets.

The mosque slated for Votanikos will not have minarets.