GRANGE ROAD MOSQUE
Address: 54.574491, -1.238905
Origin: 1962
Site Type: Mosque
Condition: Demolished
The Muslim community have a rich heritage in Middlesbrough, with sailors reportedly visiting the town from as early as 1890. With the area become a major port for England, it was inevitable the town would become a melting pot of cultures and communities.
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Prior to the 60s, the Middlesbrough Muslim community did not have a formal place of worship. They likely partook in events at home, or congregated in a community building. A house on Grange Road became the first official mosque in the town, and allowed the community to finally have its own beating heart.
It is also important to mention that the first Halal butcher's shop was opened only a year earlier by Azzam and Younis Din, providing those devoted to Islam with meat and foodstuffs that would be suitable.
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Molvi Sulimaan led prayers and teachings of the Quran. He was a full time worker at Dorman Long, an engineering firm in the town. Fellow Muslim co-workers covered for him while he was busy at the mosque. 5 years after opening the mosque had its first full time Imam, named Yaquab Patel.
These days, the Muslim population has grown in the town and so have the number of Mosques, five in total, and is the second largest religious group in the town.
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The rich Islamic culture helps strengthen and enrich Middlesbrough's values.