A fire burned out an Islamic study centre and bookshop in central Hobart, Tasmania.
Firefighters were called to the Almiraj Sufi and Islamic Study Centre in Liverpool Street Hobart at 7.15am (AEST) on Thursday.
The fire broke out in the second storey, which also houses a Chinese restaurant and miniature model shop.
The blaze caused an estimated $500,000 worth of damage to the centre.
All rush-hour pedestrian and vehicle traffic was blocked, causing lengthy delays for city workers. Occupants of a neearby flat were evacuted.
There were no casulaties reported.
A regional fire official suggested the fire was caused by an electrical fault, but he admitted that he is still interviewing people working at the centre.
"At this stage, we're still investigating via interviews and people involved in the building. However, the cause will be accidental although the actual cause of the fire is undetermined," regional fire investigator Mark Klop said.
Hobart mosque Imam Sabri Samson said there had been no threats against Muslims in Tasmania to date and he hoped the fire had not been deliberately lit.