Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
جامع السلطان قابوس الأكبر
The largest mosque in Oman, with a prayer hall covered in hand-woven Persian carpets made of millions of knots and hung with Swarovski crystal chandeliers.
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque was completed in 2001. It was ordered built by the late Sultan Qaboos to mark his 30th year of reign, and it is Oman’s largest and most important mosque, able to accommodate about 20,000 worshippers. The building is made of Indian sandstone. The central dome rises about 50 meters, and five minarets symbolize the five pillars of Islam. The main prayer hall is carpeted with a single carpet hand-woven by about 600 Iranian women over four years. It has about 17 million knots, weighs 21 tons and was once the largest single-piece carpet in the world. Overhead hangs a giant chandelier about 14 meters long, set with about 600,000 Swarovski crystals. The walls and dome are covered with fine Persian tiles and marble mosaics. The courtyard arcades feature decorative arches representing the styles of different regions of the Islamic world, and the mosque also contains an Islamic library. Non-Muslims may visit only from Saturday to Thursday mornings, for free (subject to posted announcements). The dress code is strict: men and women must wear long sleeves and long trousers, women must cover their hair with a headscarf, and children under 10 may not enter the prayer hall. Getting there: it is in the new city of Muscat, about 20 minutes by taxi from Mutrah.
Opening hours
Non-Muslims: Sat-Thu 08:00-11:00 (closed Fridays)
Nearby sights
- Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque
- Royal Opera House Muscat
- Qurum Beach
- Al Mouj Marina
- Amouage Perfumery & Visitor Centre
- Bait Al Baranda Museum
- Mutrah Souq & Corniche
- Muttrah Fort