Funchal has approved the construction of a Sunni mosque at Praia Formosa after a legal dispute lasting four years between the Espaço Islâmico da Madeira and the Funchal City Council. The project, which was launched in 2022 and had already received provisional planning approval in 2025, is now cleared to move ahead this summer. Officials describe it as a “small” mosque, and the plan includes strict limits on its size and use. It will be built on part of a currently unused area near Praia Formosa, close to the paid parking lot, under conditions meant to address concerns from residents, visitors and beachgoers. One of the key contested issues was the call of the muezzin, but the mosque will not be allowed to publicly broadcast the call to prayer in the evenings. The Espaço Islâmico da Madeira opposed that restriction during the legal process, but the condition remained in place. A separate area for women in the smaller side building, which had also been challenged, will be permitted under the laws protecting religious freedom. The project is being fully financed by the Al-Nur Al-Mutakabbir Society, residing in Bangladesh, and city officials said it will be reviewed again in August 2029 after completion.
