The fabulously beautiful Grand Mosque in Muscat is named for the much loved Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said who recently passed away after almost 50 years on the throne. When he decided that his country needed a grand mosque, a competition for the best design was held and work began. It took more than 6 years to build.
The mosque is built from 300,000 tons of Indian sandstone and features a dome. There is a main minaret and four flanking minarets.
In order to visit the inside of the mosque, you must adhere to a strict dress code. Both men and women must be dressed conservatively in long trousers with covered shoulders for the men. Women must have their head and arms covered and be wearing long pants or floor length skirts. I was wearing a shirt that went almost down to my wrists but our guide said that I would need to wear something else that completely covered my entire arm down to my wrists. Thank goodness for a Nike running shirt!
The main prayer room - the one for men that is air-conditioned- is 244 feet by 244 feet and more than 6500 worshippers can be accommodated. If you also allow worshipers in the gardens and courtyards, the total capacity of the mosque is up to 20,000.
Everywhere you look there is beauty. I can see how men are inspired to think of god in this beautiful building. Men must come to the mosque to pray while women can pray at home. Women are allowed come to the mosque to pray in the smaller hall but men and women don't pray together. When asked, our guide said that the separation was simply to keep people from being distracted.
The chandelier above the praying hall is 46 feet tall and was manufactured in Italy. It used to be the largest in the world until it was replaced by the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi....the one we didn't get to go in because of COVID 19. This chandelier weighs 8.5 tons, includes 600,000 crystals, 1,122 Halogen bulbs complete with a dimmer system and includes a staircase for maintenance within the chandelier.
The carpet was also the world's largest single piece carpet until it was replaced by ....you guessed it, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi! It took 4 years to make, has 28 colors in varying shades, and 1,700,000,000 knots.
I wonder how they counted!
Our guide was by far the best guide I've ever had in mosque. It was easy to see his devotion and love for his religion and I always admire that. He also explained the difference in prayer styles between the different Muslim sects and demonstrated the ritual washing necessary before prayers and even before touching their sacred book - the Koran.
Koran means to 'recite'. This book which is sacred to 1.5 billion people touches upon all aspects of human existence including matters of doctrine, social organization and even legislation.
Here is our guide showing us the mihrab which is the focal point of a mosque as it shows believers the direction to Mecca which is the direction they must face when praying.
The outside is quite beautiful as well. I am an admirer of Islamic architecture since I love domes, tile, and arches!
I like to learn about other religions from someone who:
- Knows the religion
- Lives the religion
- Loves the religion
Our guide at this mosque did all three!
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