Bomb disposal experts have been called to Edinburgh Central mosque with several streets in the area cordoned off.
Emergency services were called at about 9.30am on Tuesday after a suspicious package was discovered at the site on Potterrow, police said.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad is at the scene with Potterrow and Nicolson Square closed to pedestrians and traffic.
The mosque issued a statement on Tuesday morning saying that police advised the building be evacuated after reviewing CCTV.
“Edinburgh Central Mosque will be closed today for the next few hours and until further notice,” it said.
“This is due to a couple of bags that we discovered inside the premises early this morning.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.30am on Tuesday, January 3, police were called to a report of a suspicious item found within a Mosque on Potterrow, Edinburgh.
“A cordon has been put in place as a precaution and the EOD are in attendance.”
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