The British Culture Ministry listed on Tuesday two mosques in London as Grade II buildings in recognition of their architectural and historic importance. "By listing these beautiful mosques, we are not only preserving important places of worship, but also celebrating the rich heritage of Muslim communities in England," said Heritage Minister Michael Ellis. The London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre in Regents Park, central London, and the Fazl Mosque in the southwest of the British capital were both listed as Grade II buildings by the governments culture department. Grade II status is awarded to just 5.8 percent of approximately 500,000 listed buildings in England, marking them out as particularly important sites and giving them greater protection. A fund to establish a central London mosque was set up in 1910, but the Regents Park location was only secured in the 1940s and building work was finally completed in 1977. The Fazl Mosque in the Southfields area is the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and was Londons first purpose-built mosque when it opened in 1926. Although there are around 1,500 mosques in Britain, fewer than 20 percent are purpose-built according to Heritage England, which compiles the listings. The countrys first purpose-built mosque opened in Woking, a town south-west of London, in 1889. The Shah Jahan Mosque was upgraded on Tuesday to Grade I status, a ranking shared with sites such as royal residence Buckingham Palace. There are some 17 mosques in Britain that have been placed on the national historic and architectural heritage list.