One of the most architecturally distinctive structures in downtown Denver appears to be heading for the auction block.
Located at 1770 Sherman Street, the Mosque of the El Jebel Shrine was built in 1907 and originally served as the home to a chapter of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, otherwise known as the Shriners.
Designed in the late Egyptian and Moorish Revival styles, the structure encompasses around 44,000 square feet on five floors and features a spacious golden ballroom and amphitheater.
According to papers filed with the U.S. Department of Interior applying for the structure to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building’s exterior is described as “of Moorish inspiration and includes such character defining features as onion domes and finials.”
The building additionally features Moorish arched windows and doors, and supporting rooms designed in Moorish, Elizabethan, Arts and Crafts, and French Provincial styles.
Concurrent with the membership decline of the Shriners beginning in the 1980s, the structure was ultimately sold and changed hands several times. In 2016 it was acquired by a Virginia-based limited liability company for $12.3 million.
Now Denver District Court Judge A. Bruce Jones has ruled that the El Jebel Shrine, designated as a Class B structure, can be put up for auction, despite the protests of the Virginia company, which, according to published reports, has had a difficult time making payments on the building.
A date for when that auction will take place has not yet been announced. According to the publication Denver Showcase News, the ultimate selling of the El Jebel extends “beyond the building itself.”
The selling of the building and any future plans for it may shed a light on “how Denver approaches urban development, historical preservation, and investment strategies in the wake of economic pressures.”
September 29, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of History Colorado
