A £75m Islamic centre being built on the banks of the River Cherwell is unlikely to be finished for at least two years.

The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies was originally scheduled to open in 2004 on a 325-acre site, off Marston Road.

But the project is proving costlier and far more complicated than originally envisaged.

The centre, being built to encourage understanding of Islam, has been receiving support from various Islamic governments.

It will feature a Prince of Wales Garden, in honour of Prince Charles, who has taken a close interest in the project.

Work started on the building in 2002. But with the outer structure of the building completed two years ago, work has come to a halt.

Dr David Browning, registrar of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, said that with many Islamic countries keen to contribute materials, key decisions were still to be made about interior designs.

With a 75ft dome and 108ft minaret, the 125,000 sq ft building will rival some Oxford colleges in size.

It has been built on land provided by Magdalen College, with the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia contributing £20m.

The centre says that the involvement of 12 different nations means that the building will represent different Islamic traditions and architecture.

But with various countries wanting to provide building materials and specialist advice, building work has fallen behind.

Dr Browning said: "The core structure of the building has been constructed to a high standard from English and French limestone.

"The centre is now considering ways in which materials from other parts of the world can be used in finishing the interiors of the building. One such example is Iznic tile being provided by Turkey. The Yemen is providing stone and Malaysia wood.

"Co-ordination of the different elements of the interiors has perhaps been a more complicated process than we appreciated. It is very important that high standards in both material and workmanship are maintained throughout the building.

"For that reason the centre has decided to finalise the detailed designs and installation procedures before continuing with the next phase of the building work.

"Much attention is also being given to completion of the designs for the landscaping of the grounds and the Prince of Wales Garden."

Different Islamic countries have adopted various parts of the centre and there will be a Kuwait library with a 220-seat Malaysia auditorium. One of the rooms will celebrate the contribution of UK Muslims. The delays have left the centre considering the option of opening up the building in sections before it becomes fully operational.

The centre will be used by researchers and visiting scholars. Though it is an associate institution of the university, the centre will not issue degrees.

The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies was established as an associated institution of Oxford University to encourage scholarly study of Islam and the Islamic world.

Its first home was a small hut next door to St Cross Church, with the centre then moving to offices on the corner of Cornmarket and George Street.