Correspondence showed Epstein referred to the building as a ‘mosque’ on multiple occasions, though the plans for the structure were changed multiple times
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The Epstein files have shed light on the purposeof a mysterious blue and white striped building on the pedophile financier’s Caribbean island of Little Saint James.
Correspondence showed Epstein referredto the building as a “mosque” on multiple occasions, though the plans for the structure were changed multiple times, having at one point been designated as a “music room,” a chapel and a pavilion.
“It should look old… it will be for the inside walls, like a mosque, I would love to see examples,”Epstein wrote in correspondence to a contactin Uzbekistan, discussing types of tiles to decorate the building, which is topped with a golden dome.
It is unclear if the building was ever actually used for its purpose as a place of Islamic worship. Epstein himself identified as a secular Jew.
However, the documents reveal a years-long obsession with Arabic and Muslim art and culture, evidenced in his interactions with powerful figures including Emirati Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem and Mohamed Bin Salman, who would later become Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
Photos released as part of the files show Epstein with Sulayem – who was forced to resign from his position as head of Dubai-based cargo logistics company DP World due to his association with the financier – inspecting a large, elaborate tapestry on the floor of his New York townhouse in 2014.
In 2003, Epstein claimed toVanity Fairthat he owned “the largest Persian rug you’ll ever see in a private home – so big, it must have come from a mosque.”
While serving jail time in Florida in 2009, Epstein had hired architects to draw up plans for a large “hammam” Turkish bathhouse and spa, complete with baths, massage parlors and a private terrace.
These plans were abandoned in favor of a “music room” the documents show, though the designs were still Middle Eastern in style. In 2011 he asked his Uzbek contact about acquiring the tiles for his “mosque” – detailing specific details such as correct lettering to retain authenticity.
Epstein exercised his substantial wealth and influence to acquire extravagant pieces for the building. In 2017, the documents show, he met with Aziza Al Ahmadi, an aide to a consultant for the Royal Court of Saudi Arabia.
