Balancing rigorous engineering and architecture studies with daily prayer is a shared priority for Muslim students at Politecnico di Torino.
1. Where to Pray on Campus (Corso Castelfidardo / Main Campus)
Important Note: Politecnico di Torino currently does not have an officially designated multi-faith silence room or university-run prayer space.
However, Muslim students on campus have established a respectful and discreet routine for daily prayers between classes:
- Sede Castelfidardo (Cittadella Politecnica): When you enter the campus from Corso Castelfidardo, head to the first floor. Walk to the end of the corridor on the left — students usually pray in the quiet, empty space under the stairs.
- Respect & Cleanliness: Please carry your own clean pocket travel prayer mat. Keep the space tidy, quiet, and do not leave personal belongings unattended.
- Mirafiori Campus (Corso Settembrini): Students use quiet corners in the study wings or head to Moschea Al-Hidaya (Piazza Cattaneo, ~10 mins walk).
- Castello del Valentino (Architecture Campus): The quiet outdoor courtyards or nearby Moschea Omar in San Salvario (~12 mins walk / Tram 9).
2. Performing Ablution (Wudu) on Campus
There is no dedicated wudu facility at Politecnico. No sinks are set aside for ablution, and none are adapted for it.
What students use instead is the restroom on the ground floor, next to the secretariat door. It has a cubicle that closes with its own sink inside — so you can make wudu in private, without washing your feet at a row of open basins in front of everyone.
A few things that make this work for the people coming after you:
- Leave it drier than you found it. Wipe the floor and the sink edge before you go. Water pooling around a shared basin is the single thing most likely to get this quietly shut to us.
- Keep it quick. It is one cubicle serving the whole floor. Someone is usually waiting.
- Carry tissues or a small towel in your bag, and a small water bottle — useful when the ground floor is busy or you are on another campus.
This is a courtesy the university extends by not objecting, not a right we have been granted. It lasts exactly as long as we leave no trace.
الطُّهُورُ شَطْرُ الْإِيمَانِ
“Cleanliness is half of faith.”
— Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Sahih Muslim 223
إِمَاطَةُ الْأَذَى عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ صَدَقَةٌ
“Removing what harms people from the path is charity.”
— Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, agreed upon (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)
3. Friday Jumu’ah Prayer Shifts & Mosques
For Friday prayer (Jumu’ah), Turin mosques organize convenient shifts to accommodate students and workers:
- Moschea Omar (Via Saluzzo 18 — San Salvario):
- 1st Shift: 12:30
- 2nd Shift: 13:30
- Languages: Khutbah delivered in Arabic, English, and Italian.
- Getting there: ~15–18 mins walk or a quick ride on Tram 9 or Bus 68 from Corso Duca degli Abruzzi.
- Moschea Taiba (Via Chivasso 10F — Aurora / Porta Palazzo):
- 1st Shift: 12:30
- 2nd Shift: 13:30
- Languages: Khutbah in Arabic and Italian.
- Moschea Mohammed VI (Via Genova 268/B — Nizza Millefonti):
- Shift: 13:00
- Languages: Khutbah in Arabic and Italian.
- Getting there: Metro Line 1 (Lingotto station).