- I often relied on the Islamic Community of Florence and Tuscany’s Facebook page for prayer timings. A good approximation was the app PrayWatch, with the method set to France and the jurisprudence rule to standard .
- There is one mosque in Florence, that is currently in the process of moving to a new location. As of now, it is located near the Piazza dei Ciompi. It holds congregational prayers daily.
- Florence has a youth Muslim organization called GMI Firenze, that is a chapter of a larger Italy wide organization. They host regular events and are a great way to meet local Muslim youth and learn about their lives in Florence. Feel free to contact them on instagram to hear about events you can attend!
- Via Panicale has lots of shops and halal butchers—the prices are quite cheap as well compared to chain supermarkets. There are also some great halal restaurants nearby for a good meal.
- Be careful of meals that may appear to be vegetarian that have cheese: a lot of cheese is covered in animal rind, and may contain beef or pork.
- This NYU Florence LibGuide has lots of general IDBE resources, including many on Islam in Italy.
What’s it like being a Muslim student at NYU Florence?
I spent the Spring of 2023 at NYU Florence and this is a reflection of my time there. While living in Florence as a Muslim was often challenging, from finding halal food to observing Ramadan so far away from home, it was comforting to have a campus that was supportive and accommodating of my needs. For students on a meal plan, or simply students that eat at the campus cafeteria often, you can request for halal options to be made available for you. The Reflection Room is available as a prayer space that you can reserve in advance—during Ramadan, they also provided additional prayer spaces in other parts of campus. Suhoor and iftar meals are served on campus during Ramadan as well. I was also able to organize events at local Middle Eastern restaurants for Ramadan and Eid, so if you have any in mind and would like to make it happen, reach out to your Global Equity Fellows or the OSL ([email protected]).
