Islamic Community Center of Anchorage Alaska

The Islamic Community Center of Anchorage Alaska (ICCAA) is an Islamic center and mosque in Anchorage, Alaska. It is the first purpose-built mosque in the US state of Alaska, and is the third northernmost mosque in North America.

Islamic Community Center of Anchorage Alaska
The mosque in 2014
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	non-profit religious organization
Location
Location	8005 Spring St, Anchorage, Alaska 99518
Location in Alaska
Geographic coordinates	61.1481°N 149.8610°W / 61.1481; -149.8610
Architecture
Type	Mosque
Date established	2014
Specifications
Dome(s)	0
Minaret(s)	2

Construction of the mosque, school, and Islamic center.^[1] began in 2010 to replace the musalla in a strip mall that had previously served the approximately 3000 Muslim residents.^[2][3][4] The new mosque is intended to serve Anchorage's diverse Muslim community in a 15,000-square-foot-facility (1,400 m²).^[5][6][7]

It is located at Spring Street and E. 80th Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska.^[8]

Due to the differences in daylight hours between winter and summer, and due to there being no darkness in the summer at night, the ICCAA has adopted Mecca time as its prayer schedule,^[9] which has led to some disagreement within the community. Some Muslims opt to pray local time, and estimate the prayer times in the summer when they cannot use the sun.

A parishioner interviewed by VICE News explained he had chosen Alaska because while applying to immigrate to the United States as a doctor, it was easier if settlement plans were in an under-staffed community in need of doctors.^[10]

The Anchorage Muslim Community is very diverse. According to its site, the congregation includes American-born Muslims, as well as immigrants from approximately 50 different countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as Native Alaskan converts.

See also

• History of Islam in the Arctic Circle
• List of mosques in the United States