Epstein’s “Mosque” on His Island Exposes Bizarre Obsession and Global Connections

Jeffrey Epstein’s Little Saint James island, infamous as the site of some of his worst sexual crimes, holds a bizarre secret: a blue-and-white striped building topped with a gilded dome that Epstein himself described as a “mosque.” This structure, unlike any typical religious site, was part of Epstein’s disturbing fascination with Islamic architecture and relics — including a priceless piece of the kiswa, the golden embroidered cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca.

According to The Times, Epstein first conceived this mosque while in prison in 2009 after his initial conviction for soliciting prostitution. He initially planned an “Islamic garden” and a Turkish steam bath but shifted focus to this mosque-like pavilion, which he also called a “music room” in construction permits. The architect Ion Nicola recalled Epstein’s insistence on the mosque theme and his efforts to source decorative tiles from Uzbekistan, explicitly telling contacts the interior should resemble a mosque.

The centerpiece was Epstein’s trophy: a piece of the kiswa, a sacred cloth changed annually and regarded as a holy relic by millions of Muslims worldwide. Epstein’s possession of this cloth is shrouded in controversy. Photographs show him standing over the kiswa like a rug alongside Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, a powerful Emirati businessman who resigned after ties to Epstein surfaced. Epstein’s network extended to Norwegian diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen, linked to the Oslo Accords, and Aziza al-Ahmadi, a Saudi royal court consultant, who helped procure the kiswa pieces.

Epstein’s twisted personalization of the mosque is chilling. He altered Arabic calligraphy on images of Syrian bathhouses, replacing sacred words with his initials “j’s and e’s,” a stark symbol of his narcissistic appropriation of religious symbols to mask his criminal enterprise.

After Epstein’s death in 2019, ownership of Little Saint James and neighboring Great Saint James was uncertain until 2023, when investor Stephen Deckoff purchased the islands for $60 million, planning to turn Little Saint James into a holiday resort. The mosque stands as a grim monument to Epstein’s global reach, his entanglement with elite figures, and the grotesque blending of sacred symbolism with his empire of abuse.

This strange mosque is more than an architectural curiosity. It is a window into Epstein’s disturbing psyche and the shadowy networks that enabled his crimes. As investigations continue into Epstein’s legacy, this bizarre shrine underscores the urgent need to expose and dismantle the powerful enablers who allowed such abuses to flourish unchecked.