Muslim Billionaire Intends to Repurpose London Trocadero into a Mosque

Malawian Billionaire Asif Aziz intends to convert the historic London Trocadero into a mosque. Aziz, also known as “Mr. West End,” has obtained permission to repurpose the Trocadero into the capital’s new center.

The proposed mosque will have three stories and can accommodate over 390 worshipers. It is scheduled to open later this year.

Initial Rejection and Approval Despite Backlash

As a teenager, I used to visit the Trocadero regularly.
The news that it will shortly become a huge mosque has really angered me.
Muslim millionaire Asif Aziz plans to build a three-storey Islamic centre at the Trocadero.
London has fallen. London is an occupied city. #Trocadero pic.twitter.com/4wuJbyhE1n

— Paul Golding (@GoldingBF) July 17, 2023

Previous plans for a larger mosque with a capacity of 1,000 faced opposition from residents and were withdrawn in 2020. However, a revised proposal for a smaller development received approval from Westminster Council in May.

According to The Daily Mail, the council’s planning committee approved the Aziz Foundation’s application to convert a section of the London Trocadero.

🚨TROCADERO MOSQUE CONFIRMED🚨

A Muslim billionaire is building a giant mosque in the heart of London’s entertainment quarter.

Asif Aziz is building the three-storey temple and Islamic centre inside the Trocadero, which is situated between Piccadilly Circus and Soho. pic.twitter.com/lByygbavfX

— UNN (@UnityNewsNet) July 16, 2023

The London Trocadero, which opened in 1896 as a restaurant, ceased operations in 1965. It reopened in 1984 as an exhibition venue while preserving its renowned baroque exterior. However, due to low visitor turnout, investors started pulling out.

Aziz’s Restate Group Buys the Property After Years of Vacancy

In 2005, Criterion Capital, owned by Asif Aziz, purchased the property for £220 million ($363 million) and began plans to redevelop the vacant facility.

An initial proposal to convert the basement into a mosque was retracted, but later, the Aziz Foundation announced plans for the mosque, catering to local Muslim workers and tourists. There has been speculation about the mosque’s name, with some suggesting “Piccadilly Prayer Space.”

During the height of the coronavirus lockdowns, Asif Aziz gained a reputation as the strictest landlord in Britain, threatening West End tenants with winding-up petitions if they failed to pay rent.

This article appeared in The Record Daily and has been published here with permission.