History
The first Muslim immigrants to Toledo came at the turn of the century from Syria and Lebanon. In the late thirties, they established the Syrian American Muslim Society. Toledo’s first Islamic Center was built in 1954 on East Bancroft Street, near downtown, fulfilling the needs of the Muslim community at that time.
With the influx of many more Muslims to the Greater Toledo area in the late sixties and early seventies, the Islamic Center on Bancroft Street was streched to meet the religious and social needs of its members. Plans needed to be made to build a larger facility. The concept of the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo and the planning stage spanned over a decade. Its classic Islamic architecture was the first of its kind in North America.
In 1978, 48 acres of land was purchased in Perrysburg Township and the foundation of the Center was laid in October, 1980. Actual construction did not begin until September, 1982. The building was officially opened on October 22, 1983. Two wings were added in 1991 to accommodate increased enrollment in the Weekend School and to expand the Social Hall.
Today, more than 23 nationalities are represented in the Center. In addition to fulfilling the religious and cultural needs of its members, the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo provides an important bridge of understanding between its members and the community-at-large.