Aberdeen’s Frederick Street. Many walk by daily, while others cease to know it exists.
I for one knew little of it prior to last week. Now it is now home to a new hub, the Aberdeen Mosque and Islamic Centre (AMIC).
Shortly after hearing the news and knowing full well it was playing host to a highly-anticipated event on Saturday, I decided to pay it a visit.
Making a swift turn off King Street, I was welcomed by a narrow and cobbled road with a historic charm to it.
The sound of music grew louder with every step, not to mention the enticing aromas of street food, too.
The street was also filled with locals of all different ages and religious backgrounds coming together to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. To say they all seemed excited would be an understatement.
I even caught a glimpse of a youngster yanking her dad’s jumper to hastily get his hands on some Indonesian cuisine for the family.
Eid al-Fitr at AMIC
Although Eid al-Fitr began on the evening of Sunday May 1 and ended on the evening of Monday May 2, the team at AMIC wanted to hold off on the celebrations until the following weekend.
AMIC opened in March, two weeks before Ramadan kicked off on Friday April 1.
During Ramadan Muslims carry out intermittent fasting and are unable to eat or drink between sunrise, around 4.20am and sunset, around 7.55pm.
Around 1,000 people were anticipated to attend the event which ran from 11am to 5pm.
There was a line-up of food vendors outside, including Bombay Grillz and Little Miss Whippy, as well as a stall offering homemade Indonesian cuisine.
Inside, several rooms hosted regular separate prayers for male and female visitors while others were lined with stalls.
Maggie’s, Grampian Regional Equality Council, Foster Carers by ACC, Chiffon Rooms and Dimbim Speciality Cakes were among the businesses and organisations in attendance.
I spoke with Nurul Hoque Ali, general secretary of AMIC, who hailed the event a success – despite it being only midway through the proceedings during our chat.
He said: “We made a lot of effort to try and engage with the wider community and also engage with our neighbours and invite them to come along and take part in the festivities with us.”
The event in pictures
