Excerpt:
The symbolic first stone was laid for one of Europe's largest mosques at ceremony in Cologne on Saturday after years of controversy dividing the city's residents.
The futuristic mosque, which is being built under the auspices of the Ditib Turkish association, will have a large dome and two 55-metre minarets. Critics of the project say they will spoil Cologne's skyline by taking attention away from the city's famous Gothic cathedral.
"We're not just laying a cornerstone for a mosque and community centre," said Ditb spokeswoman Ayse Aydin according to public broadcaster WDR, "We're also laying here a cornerstone for our common future."