Sultan Qaboos Mosque (Muscat Cathedral Mosque)

Sultan Qaboos Mosque is the third largest mosque in the world and the main functioning mosque of Muscat, the capital of Oman. It is one of the few Muslim mosques open to non-Muslim tourists. Its construction lasted 6 years and was completed in 2001. The idea of creating the mosque belongs to Sultan Qaboos bin Said Albusaid, who rules Oman to this day. He also paid the entire cost of the mosque from his personal account.

A total of 300,000 tons of Indian sandstone was used to build the 416,000 square meter mosque. The main prayer hall measures 74.4 meters by 74.4 meters and can accommodate more than 6,500 visitors. The height of the central dome is 50 meters and the highest point, the main minaret, is 90 meters high. Together with the women’s prayer hall for 750 worshippers and the outer open hall for 8,000 worshippers, the total capacity of the Grand Mosque is up to 20,000 worshippers at a time.

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What to see

The interior of the Sultan Qaboos Mosque is finished in dark marble. Ceramic floral patterns decorate the arches that form blind niches.

The mihrab of the main prayer hall is painted with Koranic verses gilded on ceramic tiles. Around the perimeter of the dome is a row of windows with colored glass illuminating the hall. And in the center hangs a huge chandelier made of Swarovski crystals 14 m long. It weighs 8 tons and uses 1122 lamps. The other 34 chandeliers in the hall are also made of Swarovski crystals on a gilded metal structure.

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The main attraction of the hall is a handmade Persian carpet, consisting of 1,700 million knots and weighing 21 tons, which is made in one piece, measuring 70 by 60 meters. It was worked on by 600 Iranian weavers for 4 years.

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The women’s prayer hall is much more modest in size. With a capacity of only 750 people, it is finished in polished pink marble decorated with polychrome inlay.

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Nearby is a library and Islamic information center. It houses a large collection of books. The library is decorated with geometric carvings and the meeting hall is decorated with floral patterns. There is also a lecture hall with a capacity of 300 people where lectures on Islamic topics are regularly held.

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Practical information

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is open to non-Muslims daily, except Friday, from 8.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m.

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Modest dress is required, ankles and wrists should be concealed, and women should have their heads covered.

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The Sultan Qaboos Mosque is located on the main highway on the way from the airport to Muscat. The cost of the tour is $10.