The only offshore mosque in Azerbaijan, on the man-made town called Oily Rocks, has been razed, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.
State oil company SOCAR says the reason for the demolition is due to preparations for Oily Rocks' 60th anniversary, in which structures without a certain architectural style are being demolished.
SOCAR spokesman Nizameddin Quliyev said the mosque was also built on a weak foundation.
But some religious NGOs say there are political reasons for the mosque's destruction, namely a fear that Islam is strengthening in Azerbaijan.
Haci Shahin Hasanli, imam of Baku's Mashadi-Dadash Mosque, said "some officials are trying to take Azerbaijan back to Soviet times, and regard religion as a danger."
A mosque in the Yasamal district of Baku was pulled down last month. A Turkish mosque in central Baku was closed for restoration purposes earlier this month, and last year the Abu Bekr Mosque was closed for security reasons.
State oil company SOCAR says the reason for the demolition is due to preparations for Oily Rocks' 60th anniversary, in which structures without a certain architectural style are being demolished.
SOCAR spokesman Nizameddin Quliyev said the mosque was also built on a weak foundation.
But some religious NGOs say there are political reasons for the mosque's destruction, namely a fear that Islam is strengthening in Azerbaijan.
Haci Shahin Hasanli, imam of Baku's Mashadi-Dadash Mosque, said "some officials are trying to take Azerbaijan back to Soviet times, and regard religion as a danger."
A mosque in the Yasamal district of Baku was pulled down last month. A Turkish mosque in central Baku was closed for restoration purposes earlier this month, and last year the Abu Bekr Mosque was closed for security reasons.