Saudi students studying a university in the northeastern US state of Pennsylvania have bought a large theater and turned it into a mosque that accommodates more than 500 people, a Saudi newspaper said on Sunday.

The 22 students from the Gulf kingdom decided to buy the mosque near the Pennsylvania university, where they study, after it was offered for sale through local newspapers, Alwatan Arabic language daily said.

“They bought the stage and turned it into a mosque, accommodating more than 500 Moslem worshippers…the mosque is now used by the Saudi students and other Moslems studying in the university or living in that state.”

The paper said nearly 700 Moslems from many countries live in the relatively small state of Pennsylvania, which has around 51 miles of coastline along the northeastern Lake Erie and 57 miles of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary.

“The mosque has a section for women…besides prayers, it is also used to offer lessons in Arabic and English on Islam to those who wish to enter the Islamic religion…after prayers, Moslems get free meals during the day and at night.”