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9 of the Gulf’s most beautiful mosques

Our readers tell us.

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By Sekka Team

With holy month of Ramadan around the corner, we asked our readers to share and nominate the mosques they believed were the most beautiful in the Gulf. Here are their top 9 picks, in photos.

Image: Unsplash.

Name: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Description: At 22,412  square meters, this mosque is the largest in the UAE, and one of the largest in the world. Designed by a team of architects from around the world, the mosque features 82 domes and 1000 columns, and is home to the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet. 

Image: Unsplash.

Name: Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Location: Muscat, Oman

Description: The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, which was inaugurated by the late Sultan Qaboos in 2001, is the biggest mosque in the country. It can accommodate more than 20,000 worshippers at a time, and boasts beautiful mosaics, ceilings and gardens.

Image: Unsplash.

Name: Al Masjid Al Haram

Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Description: Visited by millions of Muslims every year, Al Masjid Haram is one of Islam’s three holy sites. Modernized and expanded numerous times over the course of history, the mosque can accommodate approximately one million worshippers. 

Image: Shutterstock.

Name: Al Masjid Al Nabawi

Location: Medina, Saudi Arabia

Description: Al Masjid Al Nabawi is the second holiest site in Islam, after Al Masjid Al Haram. Originally built in the 7th C by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions, this mosque has also been modernized and enlarged over the course of history. In the southeast corner of the mosque, under the Green dome, are the graves of the Prophet and the two Caliphs that succeeded him, Abu Bakr Al Sideeq and Umar bin Al Khattab.  

Image: Shutterstock.

Name: Kuwait Grand Mosque

Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait

Description: Spanning 46,000 square meters in total, this is the largest mosque in Kuwait, and was inspired by Andalusian architecture. 

Image: Shutterstock.

Name: Al Rahma Mosque 

Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Description: This mosque, which is also known as the “Floating Mosque,” derives its iconic status from the fact that it sits on stilts on the Red Sea. Due to its proximity to the airport, the mosque is visited by thousands of pilgrims en route to the holy sites every year.

Image: Shutterstock.

Name: Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque 

Location: Sohar, Oman

Description: This architectural marvel, which was inaugurated in 2016, was inspired by Persian and central Asian Islamic architecture. The mosque boasts turquoise domes, and a breathtaking grand entrance that is decorated by intricate mosaic work in hues of blue, gold, white and more.

Image: Shutterstock.

Name: The KAFD Grand Mosque 

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Description: Located in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, in the midst of glistening skyscrapers, is the eponymous KAFD Grand Mosque. This mosque’s unique design was  inspired by the desert rose, and can accommodate over 1000 worshippers across its two floors.

Name: Sharjah Mosque

Location: Sharjah, UAE

Description: Opened in Ramadan of 2019, this is Sharjah’s biggest mosque. Circled by fountains and lush gardens, the mosque’s architecture was inspired by Ottoman architecture, and it can accommodate approximately 25,000 worshippers.


The views of the authors and writers who contribute to Sekka, and the views of the interviewees who are featured in Sekka, do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sekka, its parent company, its owners, employees and affiliates.