De-Koepel moskee

De-Koepel Moskee is a small but distinctive place of worship in the Borgerhout district of Antwerp, located at Stenenbrug 11. What sets it apart from every other mosque in Belgium is a single detail: it is the only one in the country where Friday sermons are delivered entirely in Dutch. That choice reflects the mosque's original purpose from the very start — serving people who embraced Islam as adults, often coming from Dutch-speaking families, for whom Arabic or Turkish is not the language of everyday religious life.

Who founded this mosque, and why does its story matter?

The centre opened its doors in 2008 and was the first mosque in Belgium to be founded and run by converts to Islam. It was this community — people who had gone through the process of conversion themselves — that decided to build a place tailored to others in a similar position: courses on the basics of Islam taught in Dutch, a setting for pronouncing the shahada (declaration of faith), and guidance for newcomers taking their first steps in the religion.

How was the building financed and expanded?

The purchase of the property was financed by the Turkish religious organisation Diyanet, while the funds for the subsequent renovation were raised by local communities — both Turkish and Moroccan residents of Antwerp and the surrounding area. The renovation was completed in 2009, a year after the centre first opened. Once the work was finished, the prayer hall could accommodate around 210 worshippers — a scale that reflects the mosque's neighbourhood, community character rather than any ambition to be a grand landmark building.

What happened with the mosque's official recognition?

De-Koepel's history also has an administrative and political chapter. The Flemish regional government formally recognised the mosque in 2011, a status in Belgium that comes with specific legal standing and access to certain forms of public support. Over time, however, the centre stopped meeting the reporting and administrative obligations required of recognised religious communities. In October 2021, Flemish minister Bart Somers withdrew that recognition, citing a lack of contact from the mosque's board. The mosque itself continued operating and welcoming worshippers — the withdrawal concerned its formal administrative status, not its ability to function as a place of worship.

What else is worth knowing before visiting?

For an outside visitor, De-Koepel is above all an example of how a local Muslim community in Belgium organised itself from the ground up — without the backing of a large national umbrella organisation, relying instead on contributions from two different ethnic communities and on the initiative of converts themselves. It is also a rare case of a place of worship whose linguistic identity — Dutch as the language of the sermon — is just as central to its character as its religious identity.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is De-Koepel Moskee located? At Stenenbrug 11 in the Borgerhout district of Antwerp.

What makes it different from other mosques in Belgium? It is the only mosque in the country where Friday sermons are given entirely in Dutch, and it was the first mosque founded by converts to Islam.

When was it established? It opened in 2008, and the building's renovation was completed the following year, in 2009.

How many worshippers can the prayer hall hold? Following the 2009 renovation, the mosque has capacity for around 210 people.

Is the mosque still active despite losing its official recognition in 2021? Yes. The withdrawal of recognition by Flemish minister Bart Somers concerned the community's administrative status, not a ban on its religious activity.