Mosque of the El Jebel Shrine

Constructed in 1907, this Denver mosque is one of the best examples of Moorish-inspired architecture in Colorado. The building was designed by the Baerresen Brothers, who are known for the Tivoli Opera House and the old Saint Josephs Hospital. The mosque was built for the Shriners' fraternal organization, known formally as the Ancient Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The building incorporates Middle Eastern architectural styles and due to the high level of craftsmanship, it is one of the only buildings in Denver that has interior and exterior easements. Donald Trump once tried to purchase this building with plans to build a skyscraper next to it.

This building was erected in 1906 and at the time, it was the largest of the Shriners' buildings in the country. The building was commissioned for $188,000 and built to serve the rituals and meetings of the Shriners. After a large fire in 1924, the building was sold to the Scottish Rite Masonry.

The structure is utilized as a place for meetings today and continues to exhibit Moorish Revival architecture with striking onion domes, sleek pointed finials, and a corner minaret. It has Moorish arched windows and door surrounds. The interior is decorated with Persian and Egyptian motifs and a crescent ceiling. The building once had a Turkish smoking room and a Japanese tatami room. There is an auditorium, and two ballrooms and an interior balcony surrounding the ballroom. 

This building once caught the eye of Donald Trump. In 2006, after a rejected bid to redevelop Union Station, he set his sights on the El Jebel Shrine Temple with a plan to renovate the temple and add a 60-story tower on the adjacent plots around it. He wanted this building to be the tallest in Denver but failed to secure the needed financing. The building is now known as the Sherman Street Events Center. 

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3. Calhoun, Patricia. Denver Didn't Get Its Own Trump Tower, But It Does Have a Trump Plaza, Westword. July 19th 2016. Accessed July 8th 2020. https://www.westword.com/news/denver-didnt-get-its-own-trump-tower-but-it-does-have-a-trump-plaza-8111405.
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