The old mosque, insufficient for the nearly 2,000 Muslims living in Quito, has given way to a large, renovated space. The mosque’s impressive façade responds to the principles of Islamic architecture: the large dome with U-shaped arched windows, arabesque decorations, and an imposing minaret (a tall, narrow tower from which the call to prayer is traditionally made). later, a second minaret was added. The interior of the building dazzles with its “simple opulence.” There are few elements, but those that do exist are ornate and colourful. For example, crystal chandeliers through which light is projected in various colours, or its large carpet that recreates typically Arabic arches. At the end of the first floor is the Mihrab, the mosque’s most sacred place. It consists of a hole in the wall that marks the direction to Mecca. There the Koran is kept, the holy book of the Muslims.