Muscat, Oman
Coordinates: 23.583900, 58.389200
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is the main mosque in the Sultanate of Oman, located in the capital city of Muscat.
In 1992, Qaboos bin Said al Said, the then Sultan of Oman, directed that his country should have a Grand Mosque.
The mosque can accommodate 20,000 worshippers, including 750 women in a private musalla (prayer hall).
The mosque is built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone. The main musalla or prayer hall is square and 74.4 by 74.4 metres with a central dome rising to a height of 50 metres (160 ft) above the floor.
The mosque is built on a site occupying 416,000 m2 (4,480,000 sq ft),[4] and the complex extends to cover an area of 40,000 m2 (430,000 sq ft). The newly built Grand Mosque was inaugurated by Sultan of Oman on May 4, 2001 to celebrate 30 years of his reign.
Prayer Rug
A major feature of the design of the interior is the prayer carpet which covers the floor of the prayer hall.
It contains 1,700,000,000 knots, weighs 21 tonnes and took four years to produce, and brings together the classical Persian Tabriz, Kashan and Isfahan design traditions.
28 colors in varying shades were used, the majority obtained from traditional vegetable dyes. It used to be the largest single-piece carpet in the world, but is now the second, after the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the UAE
Chandelier
The chandelier above the praying hall is 14 metres (46 feet) tall and was manufactured by the Italian company Faustig.
Since the mosque is 90 metres (300 feet) high, the chandler looks proportional, but it used to be the world’s largest chandelier, before again being replaced in this respect by the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
It weighs 8.5 tons, includes 600,000 crystals, 1,122 halogen bulbs complete with dimming system, and includes a staircase for maintenance within the chandelier. Thirty-four smaller chandeliers of the same design are hung in other parts of the building
The grandeur of the space is humbling. The level of detail and the quality of the workmanship is breathtaking.
Know This
Make sure to get there between 08.30 and 11.00 which is the visiting times for non Muslims, and note that it is closed for visitors on a Friday.
As Ladies are required to be covered up, I would suggest bringing along a scarf and not wearing anything revealing. If they don’t allow you to go inside, you can rent an Abaya or buy a scarf at the gift shop near the entrance.
The mosque is approx 40 minutes from the Sea Port along the way you can appreciate how clean and attractive Muscat is. Residents have reason to feel proud.
There is also this absolutely amazing world class garden of flowers with big tress to shade you as well. Such a lovely place to just sit down and read a book!
