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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Sammy Gecsoyler

‘Our bills have tripled’: UK’s first Turkish mosque fights to survive in London

Erkin Güney, chairman of the Shacklewell Lane mosque in Dalston, east London, outside the mosque
Erkin Güney, chair of the Shacklewell Lane mosque in Dalston, said: ‘The congregation is not strong … everyone is on the breadline.’ Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

Nestled among the kebab shops, Caribbean takeaways and flashy new-build flats in Dalston, north-east London, sits the UK’s first Turkish mosque. Like many things built by and for the deep-rooted communities in this heavily gentrified part of London, it is fighting for survival.

“Our bills have tripled, costs to maintain the building have soared and we are not collecting enough money,” said Erkin Güney, 59, who runs and owns Masjid Ramadan, also known as the Shacklewell Lane mosque. He said the mosque could be forced to close its doors by next Ramadan.

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