The city of Ostend - also known as Oostende in Dutch - is located in the West Flanders province of Belgium. The city covers nearly 40 square kilometres and is home to a population of around 70,000 inhabitants. Its municipality comprises a few other boroughs...more
The city of Ostend - also known as Oostende in Dutch - is located in the West Flanders province of Belgium. The city covers nearly 40 square kilometres and is home to a population of around 70,000 inhabitants. Its municipality comprises a few other boroughs in addition to Ostend city namely - Mariakerke, Stene and Zandvoorde.
The origins of the city date back to the Middle Ages, when Ostend was a small Belgium village that later expanded and became a town during the mid 13th century. Fishing was one of the major activities in the city as well as the main source of income in the past. Ostend also has seen a number of battles during the fifteenth to eighteenth century, including the Siege of Ostend, which is considered to be one of the bloodiest battles during the Dutch War of Independence.
At present, Ostend is a popular tourist destination and is home to a number of attractions and places-of-interest for travellers to explore. Some of the main sights of Ostend include its sea-side esplanade which includes the Ostend Royal Galleries as well as the beautiful pristine beaches.
The main airport serving the city of Ostend is the Ostend-Bruges International Airport - which is also known in Dutch as the Internationale Luchthaven Oostende-Brugge. The airport focuses on freight transport but is also used for charter and holiday passenger flights - most of which are organised by tour operators. Private business flights are also quite common.
Though there are no known Halal restaurants in Ostend, travellers could avail themselves of a wealth of Halal food options at Bruges which is located about 30 kilometres away. When there is no traffic, Bruges can be reached in less than an hour’s drive and popular Halal restaurants in Bruges include the Subway located at Eiermarkt 20 and Toet Anch Amon located at Academiestraat 6. Muslim travellers may also enquire about the availability of Halal food at the main mosque of Ostend – Mosque Aisha – about where Halal food can be available around Ostend.
The main mosque of Ostend is Mosque Aisha, located at 5 Hendrik Conscienceplein. The mosque is capable of accommodating up to 6,000 people during prayer times and offers separate prayer facilities for men and women. Muslim travellers may also visit some of the mosques in Bruges which offers more options.
Prayer times for Ostend,Belgium