We have beautiful mosques all over the world. Here’s over pick for
top 40 most beautiful Mosques of the world. They reflect great culture
of Muslim world.
It’s difficult to list out top 40 so if I missed out any, you can contribute through comments.
1. Masjid Al Haram Saudi Arabia (Makkah)
Located in Makkah, It is largest mosque of world with a capacity of
4 Million worshipers. Muslims turn towards Kaaba during any prayer.
2. Masjid E Nabawi Saudi Arabia
“Mosque of the prophet” , so called beacuse it was constructed by Holy Prophet S.A.W in Madina. The basic plan of construction has been used throught the world for building mosques.
3. Al-Aqsa Mosque – Jerusalem, Israel,Plaestine
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the second oldest mosque in Islam after the Ka’ba in Mecca, and is third in holiness and importance after the mosques in Mecca and Medina. It was first Qibla for muslims. It has capacity of 400,000 worshipers at a time.
4. Mosque of Cordoba, Spain
The mosque of Cordoba was first constructed in 787, Its construction continued for years as each succeeding caliph made some extensions. The mosque of Cordoba introduced several Architectural features and techniques that became part of muslim architecture.
5. Sheikh zayed mosque Abu Dhabi
It is one of the largest mosques of the world with a capacity of around 40,000 worshipers. It features 82 domes, over a 1,000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world’s largest hand knotted carpet. The main prayer hall is dominated by one of the world’s largest chandeliers –10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height and weighing twelve tonnes.
6. Floating Mosque, Jeddah
Floating Mosque in Jeddah is one of the sacred sites in the city of Jeddah. The mosque is placed just next to the Red Sea which gives the impression that the mosque is floating in water. It is henceforth named the Floating Mosque. Due to the shimmering white color of the mosque it is also referred as the White Mosque. The mosque is located close to the center of Jeddah. The interior of the mosque is beautifully decorated. The mosque has all the modern facilities like the latest technology based sound systems.
7. Faisal Mosque Islamabad, Pakistan
The Faisal Mosque is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the third largest mosque in the whole world. It is situated in Islamabad near Naval Complex, Sector E-8. It covers an area of 54,000 sq ft. Its conceived as national mosque of Pakistan. It has a capacity to accommodate a total of 3,00,000 people. It has four minarets, each of which is 260 ft high. The Faisal Mosque is named after the King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz who supported andfinanced its construction.
8. Sabanci Mosque Adana Turkey
Sabancı Mosque in Adana is the largest mosque in Turkey. The exterior of the mosque is similar to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue mosque) in Istanbul while the interior decoration is similar to the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. Constructed in 1998, it is built on a total of 52,600 square meter of land and has a closed area of 6,600 square meters.
9. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Brunei
The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque is a majestic mosque in the
capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. It is named after Omar Ali
Saifuddien III. It was constructed in 1958. The mosque is built blending
the Islamic architecture with Italian style. It is set in a man-made
lagoon on the banks of the Water Village and is beautifully lit during
the night.
The main feature of the mosque is the main dome which is covered
with pure gold. The minarets are constructed out of marble. The prayer
hall can accommodate over 3,000 people and has beautiful carvings with
arches, tinted glass windows and marble columns. The mosque is
surrounded by trees and flower gardens giving a blissful touch.
10. Putra Mosque – Putrajaya, Malaysia
The Putra Mosque, or Masjid Putra in Malay language, is the principal mosque of Putrajaya, Malaysia. Construction of the mosque began in 1997 and was completed two years later. It is located next to Perdana Putra which houses the Malaysian Prime Minister’s office and man-made Putrajaya Lake. In front of the mosque is a large square with flagpoles flying Malaysian states’ flags.
11. Qol Sharif Mosque – Kazan Kremlin, Russia
Located within the Kazan Kremlin walls, Qol Sharif is the largest mosque of Russia. The mosque is named after Imam Seid Qol Sharif, who defended Kazan against the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It’s actually 16th century mosque which was rebuilt in 1996 and inaugurated in 2005.
12. Crystal Mosque Malaysia
The Crystal Mosque or Masjid Kristal is a mosque in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. The mosque is located at Islamic Heritage Park on the island of Wan Man. The mosque was constructed between 2006 and 2008. It was officially opened on 8 February 2008 by 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu.
13. Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore
Wazir Khan Mosque is situated in Lahore. It is famous for its extensive tile work on its exterior and interior walls. It is sometimes called as “a mole on the cheek of Lahore”. Shah Jehan built this in 1635. It looks same after centuries passed away.
14. Selimiye Mosque – Edirne, Turkey
Selimiye mosque is located in Edirne Turkey. The mosque was commissioned by Sultan Selim II and was built by architect Mimar Sinan between 1569 and 1575. The exterior and interior of Selimiye Mosque are impressive. The wide, imposing dome is supported by eight pillars, arches, and external buttresses, creating a deceptively spacious interior. Because the pillars only carry a portion of the weight of the dome the walls are strong enough to hold the dozens of windows which flood the mosque with light. The natural light illuminates the colourful decorations, decorative tiles, and calligraphy of the interior.
15. Baiturrahman Mosque – Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Mesjid Raya Baiturrahman is a large mosque located in the center of the city of Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia. The mosque was designed by an Italian architect and built by the Dutch colonial administration as a token of reconciliation following their destruction of an older mosque during the Aceh wars. Construction of the mosque commenced in 1879 and was completed in 1881. The mosque survived the massive 2004 tsunami which destroyed much of the rest of the city of Banda Aceh.
16. Sultan Hasan Mosque, Cairo, Egypt
The Sultan Hassan Mosque and madrasa (School) is considered stylistically the most compact and unified of all Cairo monuments. The building was constructed for Sultan Hassan bin Mohammad bin Qala’oun in 1256 AD as a mosque and religious school for all sects. It was designed so that each of the four main Sunni sects has its own school while sharing the mosque. The cornices, the entrance, and the monumental staircase are particularly noteworthy.
17. Badshahi Mosque Lahore
“Badshahi Mosque” literally means “Emperors Mosque”. Its construction was started in May 1671 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It is situated in Lahore. It is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and fifth largest mosque in the world. It is Lahore’s major landmark and a great tourist attraction. It attracts a net total of more than 5, 00,000 tourists from all over the world. Its courtyard covers an area of 278,784 sq ft. it can accommodate total of 110,000 people at a time.
18. Dearborn-mosque-michigan America
Dearborn mosque is largest mosque in US. The center has a gold-domed mosque flanked by two minarets helping to make the 70,000 square-foot facility one of the largest Islamic centers in North America. The main prayer hall accommodates 1,000 people, including 700 men in one area and 300 women in the balcony.
19. Al. Azhar mosque Egypt Cairo
The Mosque of al-Azhar was founded by Jawhar al-Siqilly, the Fatimid conqueror of Egypt, in 970 as the congregational mosque for the new city of al-Qahira. The first khutba was delivered from its minbar in 972 and a university was established there in 988.
20. Azadi Mosque , Ashgabat – Turkmenistan
It was one of the first mosques built after the independence of Turkmenistan in the early 1990s and like several other mosques in the country resembles that of the Blue mosque of Istanbul.
21. Sultan Mosque Singapore
The Sultan mosque was first built in the 1820s. However the original structure was demolished about a century later to make way for the current building, which was completed in 1932. The mosque holds great significance for the Muslim community, and is considered the national mosque of Singapore. It was designated a national monument in 1975. It was named after Sultan Hussein Shah.
22. Mosque of Djenne, Mali
The Great Mosque in Djenné, Mali is not only the world’s largest mud brick building but also a model of ecofriendly and sustainable architecture. Though the current mosque was ordered to be built by the French colonial administration in 1906, its style follows African ones of the region. In fact, the mosque is considered by many to be one of the finest examples of the architectural style found in the very dry Sahel and Sudanian regions south of the Sahara, where Islamic influences are abundant.
23. Ruhy Mosque , Ashgabat – Turkmenistan
Ruhy Mosque is the largest mosque in Central Asia. Twenty thousand men and woman can pray at the same time. The floor of the mosque is covered in handmade Turkmen praying mats and an enormous eight-sided carpet decorates the very center of the mosque. It consists of two floors – on the first floor men pray; on the second, women. It has four minarets and a golden dome sits the central upper part of the mosque. The height of each minaret is 91m, and the dome is 50 m high, covered in gold. The mosque is surrounded by extravagant fountains and gardens.
24. Grand mosque, Xian China
The Great Mosque in Xian is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and its location is northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane. It was built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was a result of Islam being introduced into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in China and married women of Han Nationality. Their descendants became Muslim of today.
25. Shahjahan Mosque Thatta, Pakistan
Shah Jahan Masjid, built in 1644 and 1647. Its 93 domes around a central courtyard give it superb acoustics, while wind towers provide natural air-conditioning. The tile work with wide-ranging shades of blue – and the calligraphy are equally impressive, and it is one of Pakistan’s loveliest mosques. It’s said that Shah Jahan built the mosque to repay the townspeople for their hospitality when he sought refuge here after revolting against his father, the Mughal emperor Jehangir.
26. Al-Saleh Mosque, Sanaa- Yamen
The Al Saleh Mosque is the largest and most modern mosque in Sana’a, Yemen. Inaugurated in November 2008, it is named after Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. It can hold up to 40,000 worshippers and cost nearly 60 millionUS Dollars to build. At the time of construction and opening, it was criticized for being too expensive in relation to Yemen’s general impoverishment.
27. Ketchimalai Mosque , Beruwala – Sri Lanka
28. Masjid E Tooba Karachi Pakistan
Tooba Mosque is located in Karachi. One of its common names is “Gol Masjid” which is probably because of its elliptical structure. It was built in 1969. It is claimed to be the largest single dome mosque in the world. It is a major tourist attraction. Tooba Mosque was built with pure white marble. Its dome is 236 ft in diameter. It has a single minaret 70 meters high. Its central hall can accommodate total of 5000 people.
29. Al-Nilin Mosque, Omdurman – Sudan
Masjid e Nilin is a mosque in omdurman, Sudan. It is located on the west bank of Nile river. IT WAS BUILT IN 1970′s and since then remains one of the fine architectural religious venues in the country.
30. Jama Masjid Delhi India
Jama Masjid of Delhi is the largest mosque in India. The Jama Masjid stands across the road in front of the Red Fort. Built between 1644 and 1658, Jama Masjid is one of the last architectural works of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Jama Masjid was completed under the supervision of Saadullah Khan, the Prime Minister of Shah Jahan. A sum of Rs 10 lakhs was spent on the construction of the Jama Masjid.
31. Al Rahman Mosque , Aleppo – Syria
32. Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco
The work on the mosque was commenced on 12 July 1986, and was intended to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II, in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 30 August 1993. During the most intense period of construction, 1400 men worked during the day and another 1100 during the night. 10,000 artists and craftsmen participated in building the mosque.
Built
on reclaimed land, almost half of the surface of the mosque lies above
sea water of the Atlantic. This was inspired by the verse of the Qur’an
that states “the throne of Allah was built on water.” Part of the floor
is glass and offers a view down at the sea.
33. Bhong Masjid Sadiqabad, Pakistan
Bhong Mosque is located in the village of Bhong, Sadiqabad, Punjab Pakistan. It was designed and constructed over a period of nearly 50 years (1932–1982) and won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1986.It is considered as one of most beautiful mosques of world.
34. Maschour Zhusup Kopeevcentral Mosque – Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
Built in the city centre, the mosque has two prayer halls that can accommodate 1,200 men and 300 women respectively. It is adorned with an 8-axis star, a dome and 4 minarets.
35. Tooting Mosque London
Also known as, Al-Risala School, it was built in 1997.
36. Al Nida Mosque Baghdad Iraq
37. Al Fateh Mosque Bahrain
Al Fateh Mosque can encompasses 6,500 square meters with capacity to accommodate over 7,000 worshippers at a time. Its huge dome is completely made of fiber glass. Throughout the mosque are calligraphy writings in a very old type of style called Kufic
38. Fatima Mosque Kuwait
It is considered an architectural masterpiece radiate Balnoranip and faith, hangs throughout the year, especially with lights in the month of Ramadan to welcome thousands of worshipers, and remain a witness outstanding design and conical dome unique overlap of Islamic art.
39. Great Mosque of Damascus Syria
The Grand Mosque of Damascus, known more commonly as the Umayyad Mosque, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. The mosque occupies a huge quadrangle 515 by 330 feet (157 by 100 m) and contains a large open courtyard surrounded by an arcade of arches supported by slender columns.
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