Did you know that in the city Coquimbo there is a beautiful mosque ?
I had no idea of the existence of the mosque in Coquimbo existence until my visit to the port city.
I have always found very unattractive the area of La Serena and it was on my last trip I set out myself to find the attractions of the area. Like it or not, many vacationers choose it as their preferred within the options offered by the long Chilean coast.
On top of a hill in the area called Villa Dominante, near the bus station, there is the Mosque in Coquimbo, which can be seen from the distance from many points of the coastline and the city of Coquimbo itself.
Construction began in 2004 as a joint project of the Municipality of Coquimbo and the Kingdom of Morocco. The mosque was inaugurated on March 14, 2007.
It was created as a Cultural Center to promote awareness and respect for other cultures and religions existing in the world. The interest with this project covers also educate about Moroccan culture, about Islam and eliminate prejudices related to the Muslim religion in our country. 
The Mohammed VI Cultural Center for Dialogue of Civilizations is the only Moroccan Cultural Center which also houses a mosque in Latin America. 
The minaret of the mosque in Coquimbo is a scale replica of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech , Morocco.
The delicate carved plaster was handmade Moroccan craftsmen 9 and one Chilean and took nearly three months to complete this beautiful work .
The construction of this Cultural Center it is interesting to notice, considering that in Chile there is not a big presence of devotees of the Islam. Across the country there are about 3,500 followers of this religion and near Coquimbo about 30 families profess this religion. Prayer service on Friday afternoons is performed.
Take a note for your visit:
It is important to keep in mind that, as a place of prayer you must observe certain rules in the place of prayer.
- Do not enter with shoes.
- You must cover shoulders and legs.
- It is not allowed to take pictures inside ( although usually allowed to take pictures inside the mosques, according to the guide this was because some visitors published photographs mocking Islam )
Opening Hours
Normal Hours
Monday- Thursday from 9:00 to 12:30 and 14:30 hr. 17:00 hr.
Friday: 09:00 hr. 12:00 (afternoon closed for prayer )
Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 to 12:30 and 14:30 to 18:45 hr.
Summertime Hours
Monday- Thursday: 09:00 to 12:30 and 14:30 18:45 hr.
Friday: 9:00 to 12:00 (afternoon closed for prayer )
Saturday and Sunday : Closed
Address
Los Granados, 500Villa Dominante
Coquimbo / ChilePhone / fax: (0056) (51) 31 04 40
E – mail: centromohammed6@yahoo.es
The architecture looks gorgeous! I’m not quite sure why, but I really love your 2nd photo down here- great sense of perspective.