Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the new Cambridge Central Mosque in Cambridge on Thursday, which is Europe's very first eco-friendly mosque.

Axar.az reports citing Turkish media.

Erdogan came to the U.K. to attend a two-day NATO leaders' summit as well as to inaugurate the mosque.

The road to building Europe's first eco-friendly mosque began back in 2008. When the capacity of local churches and houses was unable to meet the worship needs of local Muslims, Muslim students in the city turned to one of Britain's most influential Muslims.

Timothy Winter, also known as Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, who is the dean of the Cambridge Muslim College, was instrumental in getting the land for the mosque.

More than 10,000 people and groups donated money for the landmark purchase, with Turkish groups donating most generously. The Qatar National Fund was also among the donors.

Abdal Hakim Murad, together with singer Yusuf Islam (also known as Cat Stevens), sought support for the project from Erdogan, who was Turkey's then-prime minister.

In the project, Islamic aesthetics, sense of the arts and the Prophet Muhammad's life and the importance he placed on protecting nature were used as inspiration.

A competition helped determine the mosque's design, which includes a garden, portico, yard, lavatory, prayer room and bathing cubicle.