Cologne’s Central Mosque sounds call to prayer for the first time

The Muslim call to prayer has sounded for the first time from one of Germany’s biggest mosques in Cologne, but at limited volume – as part of a project agreed with authorities in the city that has one of the country’s largest Muslim communities, according to news reports.

Authorities in Germany’s fourth-biggest city last year cleared the way for mosques to apply for permission to call for prayer for a maximum five minutes between noon and 3pm on Fridays, with a noise limit being set for each mosque according to its location.

The Central Mosque, a modern building with two tall minarets, is located on a busy road in Ehrenfeld district just west of the city center and has room for 1,200 worshippers.

DITIB, Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs, said an agreement for a two-year trial of the call was made with the city on Wednesday. Authorities said it would be broadcasted by loudspeaker and audible outside, though it should be limited to 60 decibels for nearby residents.

Germany is home to more than five million Muslims, accounting for about six percent of the population. Cologne, famed for its towering Dom Cathedral, counts more than 100,000 Muslim residents.