Markazi Masjid, Dewsbury

The Markazi Masjid ("Central Mosque"), also known as the Dewsbury Markaz or Dar ul Ulum ("House of Knowledge"), is a mosque in the Savile Town area of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England. With a maximum capacity of 4,000, it is one of the largest mosques in Europe. It is the European headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat movement, and also houses one of the two main Islamic seminaries in the UK. The mosque serves as a centre for Tablighi Jamaat's missionary activity throughout Europe. It was also the location of the Institute of Islamic Education (Arabic: جامعة تعليم الإسلام, romanized: ‘Jāmi’at Ta’līm al-Islām), a private day and boarding faith school for boys aged 13–25 However the school formally closed in January 2023. Construction of the mosque commenced in 1978 and was completed in 1982; the seminary was founded in 1980. The founder of Dewsbury Markaz was Hafiz Patel, who remained its leading figurehead until his death in 2016.