Now, all that remains of Masjid Al Taqwa — the first mosque in the Altadena-Pasadena area — are soot, ash and charred twisted skeletons of chairs. A sign proclaiming the mosque’s name stands ...

Sultan Ahmed I was determined to build a mosque that rivaled the nearby Hagia Sophia, and most would agree that he accomplished this task or, at least, came close. Since the early 1600s ...