The Beautiful and Diverse Mosques of OIC Countries.

 

The Kalon Mosque of Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Po-i-Kalyan, otherwise known as The Kalon Mosque, was constructed in the 16th century Bukhara, Uzbekistan and translates to mean “the Foot of the Great.” The congregational Kalon Mosque can house 10,000 worshippers at one time. Its roof looks flat but actually consists of 288 domes.The Kalon Mosque of Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Badshahi Mosque, Pakistan

The Badshahi Mosque, or “Emperor’s Mosque”, is the 2nd largest mosque in Pakistan and can accommodate up to 55,000 worshippers. It was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is widely famous due to its beautiful architecture and the fact that Qari Basit recited the Qur’an here from 1927-1988.

 

Mohammed Al-Amin Mosque, Lebanon

Also known as The Blue Mosque, Mohammed Al-Amin Mosque is a Sunni mosque in Beirut, Lebanon. Designed in the Ottoman style of architecture with stones form Saudi Arabia it was completed in 2005. It has four floors and a total of 10,700m2.

Mohammed Al-Amin Mosque, Lebanon

El-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque, Egypt

Built in 1775 and named after an Andalusian saint and scholar, the El-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque is the most historic in Alexandria, Egypt. One of its astounding features is the octagonal skylight known as a Shokhsheikha. Each side of the skylight has three windows of coloured glass in arabesque designs set into aluminium frames.

El-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque, Egypt

Umayyad Mosque, Syria

Also known as The Great Mosque of Damascus, the Umayyad Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the world. It was constructed between A.D.705-715. It has survived several fires over the centuries and more recently a minaret was destroyed during conflict between government troops and insurgents.

Umayyad Mosque, Syria

Al Noor Mosque, UAE

Located in Sharjah, UAE, the Al Noor Mosque is one of only three mosques open to the public in the country to promote cultural understanding. It is of Turkish Ottoman design and was influenced by the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Turkey. While the mosque is normally white in colour it appears in various, beautiful designs and colours during the seven day Sharjah Light Festival where historical places are decorated with light and music.

Al Noor Mosque, UAE

Omar Ali-Saifuddin Mosque, Brunei

Completed in 1958, Omar Al-Saifuddin Mosque unites Mughal architecture and Italian design. It is named after the 30th Sultan of Brunei who initiated its construction. It is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in the Asia Pacific region. The main dome, the mosques most recognisable feature, is covered in pure gold.

Omar Ali-Saifuddin Mosque, Brunei

The Hassan ll Mosque, Morocco

Located in Casablanca, this mosque is the largest in both Morocco and Africa and the 7th largest in the world. It can accommodate 105,000 worshippers at once. It is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean with part of the mosque on land and part over the water. It is equipped with a retractable roof, a laser atop the 210m minaret— the light of which points towards Mecca— and hand-crafted marble walls.

The Hassan ll Mosque, Morocco

Shat Gombuj Masjid, Bangladesh

Located in Bangladesh, the Shat Gombuj Masjid, meaning “Sixty Dome Mosque”, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site from the 15th century. The mosque actually has 77 domes and 60 stone pillars, possibly a language adaptation between Arabic, Persian and the local Bangla.

Shat Gombuj Masjid, Bangladeshcal Sciences

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque, Malaysia

Located in Shah Alam, this mosque is the largest in Malaysia and the 2nd largest mosque in Southeast Asia. The blue dome is the largest in the world (51.2 m (167 ft.) in diameter and reaches 106.7 m (350 ft.) above ground level. The four minarets are the 2nd tallest in the world. It was completed in 1988 and is a mix of Malay and modern design. It can accommodate 24,000 worshippers at one time.

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque, Malaysia

Al-Saleh Mosque (Sana’a, Yemen)

Al-Saleh Mosque is the largest mosque in the Sana’a area and is named after former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. It is open to non-Muslims and therefore frequented by tourists regularly. Completed in 2008 the mosque is 27,300 square meters and was made with red, white and black limestone.

Nur-Astana Mosque (Astana, Kazakhstan)

The mosque, located in the capital of Astana, is the 2nd largest in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. It was a gift representing the agreement between Kazakhstan President, Nursultan Nazarbayev and the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa. The height of the main part of the mosque, 40 meters, represents the age of The Prophet Muhammad when he received the revelations and the height of the minarets, 63 meters, represent the age of The Prophet when he died.

Nur-Astana Mosque (Astana, Kazakhstan)

Rawze-e-Sharif, Afghanistan

Also called “The Blue Mosque” and “The Shrine of Hazrat Ali”, Rawze-e-Sharif is located in Mazari Sharif, the fourth largest city in Afghanistan. It is believed by some Muslims that the tomb of Ali ibn Abi Talib is located in Mazari Sharif. It was constructed in 1480 in the same location of the city and mosque that was built in 1136 but later destroyed in 1220 by Genghis Khan.