Golden Dawn rallies supporters against plans for building a mosque in Athens

A supporter of the extreme right party Golden Dawn shouts slogans during a protest against government plans for building a mosque, in Athens on Saturday, Dec. 14 2013. The Greek government said last month that a building consortium had been chosen to build the Athens mosque 13 years after the project was first announced. Athens is one of the few European capitals without a mosque, although the city's growing Muslim population uses several unofficial places of worship. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis) (The Associated Press)

Supporters of the extreme right party Golden Dawn take part in a protest against government plans for building a mosque, in Athens on Saturday, Dec. 14 2013. The Greek government said last month that a building consortium had been chosen to build the Athens mosque 13 years after the project was first announced. Athens is one of the few European capitals without a mosque, although the city's growing Muslim population uses several unofficial places of worship. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis) (The Associated Press)

Supporters of the extreme right party Golden Dawn hold up flags during a protest against government plans for building a mosque, in Athens on Saturday, Dec. 14 2013. The Greek government said last month that a building consortium had been chosen to build the Athens mosque 13 years after the project was first announced. Athens is one of the few European capitals without a mosque, although the city's growing Muslim population uses several unofficial places of worship. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis) (The Associated Press)

Several hundred supporters of the extreme right Golden Dawn party have attended a rally to protest against construction of a mosque in the Greek capital.

A contractor to build the mosque was chosen last month, 13 years after the project was first announced by the Greek government. Five previous bids to find a builder had been canceled amid a hostile reception from extremists and fanatical Orthodox Christians. The growing Muslim community in Athens meanwhile has been using apartments as places of worship.

The mosque will lack a minaret in an attempt to minimize reactions among the predominantly Christian population.

Golden Dawn supporters shouted slogans against Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey and a known secularist. Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in Athens on an official visit Friday.