The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is a new yet
architecturally classic building completed in 2001 after six years
of construction and inaugurated by His Majesty in May 2001. It can
accommodate up to 20,000 worshippers and consists of a main prayer
hall, ladies prayer hall, covered passageways, a meeting hall, and
library which will eventually contain up to 20,000 books.
The whole interior of the Grand Mosque is paneled with off-white
and dark grey marble paneling clothed in cut tile work. The
ceilings are inspired by those of Omani forts. The mihrab in the
main prayer hall is framed by a border of Quranic verses and a
gilded ceramic surround.
The dome comprises a series of ornate, engraved stained glass
triangles within a framework of marble columns, and a Swarovski
crystal chandelier with 24 carat gold-plated metalwork hangs down
for a length of 14 meters, 8 meters in diameter, weights 8 tons and
has 1,122 lamps and 600,000 crystals.
Equally impressive is the hand made Persian carpet of the main
prayer hall, also one of the largest in the world, weighing over 21
tons, consisting of 1,700 million knots and made in a single piece
measuring 70x60 meters. It took 4 years and 600 weavers to make
it.
ATTENTION! DO NOT ADD
PICTURES FROM CACHE SPOT TO THE LOG!
Task:
IMPORTANT NOTE before visit Grand Mosque:
men are required to wear long pants, women must be fully covered
(arms, legs and wear a head scarf). English speaking guides are
available to help navigate the visit. Grand Mosque is open for
non-Muslims Saturdays – Thursdays excluding Fridays from 8:00
AM to 11:00 AM.
