Purpose-Built, Grand, or Central Mosque? A Conceptual Discussion of Mosque Typology in Scandinavia

Abstract

Mosques in Scandinavia are a highly diverse phenomenon, which has led to the emergence of a rich vocabulary within the field of academic research. This article examines the conceptualization of mosques in the diaspora, with a particular focus on purpose-built mosques, and argues for a rethinking of this frequently used term. We suggest replacing the term with a more nuanced typology that goes beyond mere physical structures to include aspects such as the size, status, and mutual positioning of large Scandinavian mosques, and consequently propose a terminology that includes grand, central, and Friday mosques as well as multipurpose cultural centres as key categories. To link the abstract typology to the empirical, we apply the terminology to a number of Scandinavian mosques and discuss how to deal with cases where the typology differs from the mosques own designations.