Antwerp is the second largest and the second most populous city in Belgium, next to its capital city of Brussels. The city stretches across an area of over 200 square kilometres and is home to a population of around 500,000 inhabitants. It located on...more
Antwerp is the second largest and the second most populous city in Belgium, next to its capital city of Brussels. The city stretches across an area of over 200 square kilometres and is home to a population of around 500,000 inhabitants. It located on the Scheldt River and is also home to one of Europe's largest sea ports. The name Antwerp is derived from the Dutch term "aan de werpe" which translates to where the river meets sand.
The history of Antwerp dates way back in time to the mid-second century and was first named by the Germanic Franks. At present, its municipality is divided into nine districts namely - Antwerp City, Berchem, Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo, Borgerhout, Deurne, Ekeren, Hoboken, Merksem and Wilrijk. Each district has something unique to offer travellers.
Antwerp is also famed for being a "diamond city" and over 70% of the world's diamonds are believed to be traded in Antwerp. In addition to the Diamond District in Antwerp, there are plenty of other places-of-interest for travellers to explore including numerous museums, historical towns, castles as well as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Antwerp is home to the Antwerp International Airport - a small airport featuring a single passenger terminal and basic facilities. It offers one airline - CityJet - and serves around a hundred thousand passengers every year. Travellers to Antwerp may also use the Brussels Airport which is the next closest international airport, located about 40 kilometres away.
There are quite a few Halal restaurants in Antwerp, giving Muslim travellers a number of options to choose from. Some of the more reputed Halal restaurants in Antwerp include Malaysia Satay House, Postelsche Hofstee, Bizanaat, Generosa, Mevlana, Wok & Walk, Subway, Le Sud, Pita-Amon, TonTon Chami and Sifa Lokantasi. Finding Halal food in Antwerp will not prove to be that difficult due to the options available.
A number of mosques in Antwerp are available for Muslim travellers and finding prayer facilities in Antwerp will be quite easy. It is believed to be home to over 30 small mosques, most of which are located in old buildings. Some of the more prominent mosques in Antwerp include the Noor Ul Haram mosque located a few minutes’ walk from the central station, the Darou Khoudos mosque located on the highway A12, the Daral Allah Mosque and the Al Salam Mosque.