Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Opened in May 2001, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is a splendid architectural achievement. This serene building rises above the surrounding area, its minarets standing tall against a background of mountains in a landscape which is quintessentially Omani. However, it is not just a triumph of architecture but symbolises the faith of the Omani people and the supremacy of Islam in the country.
The mosque is actually a complex consisting of an Islamic Studies Centre, a 3-storey library with 20,000 volumes, a meeting and conference hall to seat 300 people, in addition to two prayer halls.
The main musalla (prayer hall) has been designed to hold over 6,500 worshippers, while the women's musalla can accommodate 750. The outer paved courtyard holds another 8,000 and there is additional space in the interior courtyard and passageways, making a total capacity of up to 20,000 worshippers.
A site was chosen for the complex in Wilayat Bausher, along the road linking the heart of Muscat directly with other wilayats and cities of the Sultanate. Construction work commenced in 1995 and took over six years to complete. The site covers an area of 416,000 square metres and the complex is built over an area of around 40,000 square metres.
The materials and craftsmanship used were carefully researched and sourced at origin. Modern designs and new interpretations were applied to the classic design and details of the building.
