Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg

The Pluralism Project tells us that the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg occupies a property which belonged to the Catholic Church. "The center is a converted Catholic Church complex. The large prayer room, formerly the church sanctuary, is in the main building of the complex. In this same building there is a smaller prayer room, one eighth the size of the larger prayer room, and wudu stations. " Description of the Main Sanctuary "The main sanctuary gets its light from the stained glass windows and the cylindrical wrought-iron lanterns that cast a yellow light in the room. Its ceiling is vaulted in a pointed dome and is decorated with symmetrical eight point stars that line either side of the point in the dome. Stained-glass windows of a green and yellow hue line the length of the walls and display Arabic names of God with an artistic golden touch. The room resonates with subdued sea greens, blues, grays, pinks, corals, and gold leaf enhancements. The carpet has approximately sixteen inch-wide stripes in alternating light and dark sea green to provide direction toward Mecca for the worshippers in the Mosque. There is a balcony at the rear of the prayer room, which is also carpeted in the same manner as the main floor. The balcony, and the back left corner of the room that is sectioned off by a free-standing green curtain, are for women. (Mosques would not normally have stained glass windows but this mosque does because the windows remain from the building’s earlier use as a Catholic church. The areas where the Stations of the Cross were in the Catholic Church have been removed but their indentations are still present.)"