Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

According to Wikipedia, in 1992 His Royal Highness Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said held a competition to design and build a Grand Mosque. Construction took six years to complete and the result is a stunning reflection of Islamic architecture.

The mosque occupies an area of approximately 416,000 square metres and can accommodate up to 20,000 worshipers within the grounds.

The external dimensions of the main prayer hall are 74m x 74m, with a central dome that rises 50 metres from the ground. Up to 6,500 people can pray at any one time within the main hall.

Intricate architecture inside the dome.
Intricate architecture inside the dome.

Hanging within the dome is the former Guinness world record holding 14 metre high Swarovski crystal chandelier that weighs a staggering 8.5 tonnes. It took four years to build and, until recently, was the largest chandelier in the world.

Underneath the 600,000+ glittering Swarovski crystals is arguably the second biggest hand-woven carpet in the world comprising 1,700 million knots and weighing 21 tonnes. Apparently it took 600 Iranian women 4 years to make. The size and scale of this rug made it hard to photograph properly.

There are sixteen smaller chandeliers lining the edges of the main prayer hall.The mosaic pattern of the Mihrab (below) deserved a closer inspection however the crowds on the day of our visit just would not allow this to happen. Built in the traditional semi-circular way the Mihrab indicates the direction of Mecca and hence the direction that worshipers should face when praying.

Buildings and walls surrounding the main prayer hall were inspired by traditional Omani fort architecture and incorporate verses of the Quran into the design.

Many of the internal walls have small niche’s like the one below that incorporate the Islamic motifs of other cultures. This one reflects ‘a contemporary interpretation of the patterns and designs which flourished during the reign of Tamerlane (1336-1405 AD) ruler of Central Asia’.

There are also fine marble ablution rooms for men and women.

Within the grounds are five minarets that symbolise the five pillars of Islam being Shahada (faith), Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity), Sawm (fasting) and Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca). The four smaller minarets occupy the corners of the mosque and a larger central one located adjacent to the dome.

The height of the central minaret (below) reaches 91.5m and has a 10.9 metre square base. From here the call to prayer is broadcast over the city six times a day.

Non-Muslims are welcome to visit the Grand Mosque between 8:00am and 11:00am any day other than Friday and it is definitely worth a visit. Please dress conservatively though out of respect for your hosts. Men should wear long trousers and have their shoulders covered, whilst women should have a covered head and arms, with either long trousers or a long skirt.

If you are unable to visit the Grand Mosque please feel free to check out the 360 degree virtual tour provided by the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque official website.

Published by Matthew Green

I am a successful Business Manager, copywriter and published author. Throughout my career as a senior manager I have provided effective leadership for small businesses, medium-sized companies, international schools and large non-profit associations, in countries with vastly differing political ideologies, socioeconomic backgrounds and religious beliefs. This experience has provided me with a proven ability to develop and implement comprehensive business and strategic plans to ensure long-term financial growth and stability. I am also adept at managing day-to-day operations and human resources, with a focus on building partnerships across all staff levels and external stakeholders. I have a strong track record of planning, budgeting, and implementing new school construction, new technology initiatives, and new marketing and admissions approaches. My formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Management and Legal Studies from the University of Wollongong, which I have supplemented with mindfulness training. My love of creative writing was forged in high school but has accelerated in my adulthood. I spent four years at the TAFE College in Ultimo studying Copy Writing, Copy Editing and Proof Reading, amongst other things. During my free time from furthering my education and raising a family I was an avid songwriter penning the poetry for children’s music as well as adult contemporary. Unfortunately my guitar playing ability was somewhat less than average so many of my rhymes lacked the rhythm required for commercial release. In July 2015, I headed to Laos where I volunteered at Vientiane International School. My role was part intern, part teacher of Business Studies to Diploma students and part web developer for the school’s new website. A year later I was head-hunted to fill the role of Business Manager at OurPlanet International School in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, where I helped to build an International Baccalaureate primary school. I have published two books, Pine Gap and iDad, which are available on Amazon. My third novel is underway, with an anticipated release later this year. Some of my short stories have been published in magazines and the rest reside on my website https://matthewgreen.com.au/ In business I have written case studies and press releases as well as a monthly newsletter with technical information and marketing spiel. Some of those documents were picked up by industry trade journals and reprinted. You can read more of my business writing at https://beyonddigitalstrategy.com/ I have also done some travel writing during my time working overseas. You can read some of my travel articles here https://wywhblog.com/ I am a member of the Australian Society of Authors and an avid participant in the courses offered by the Australian Writers Centre, and I contacted via email at mattvgreen@gmail.com

Middle East, Muscat, Oman

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