Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque: Stunning Monument of Worship

This mosque is one of Oman’s most iconic places. It is a great architectural marvel and also their most important place of worship. This is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque located in Muscat, the capital of Oman. Apart from being an important place of worship, this place has several credits to it.

 
It houses the world’s second largest single-piece hand woven carpet. Made in Iran and weighing at 21 tons, this carpet took 4 years to prepare. This mosque is also home to the second largest chandelier in the world. This was made in Germany.

 
Sandstone was brought in from the state of Rajasthan in India. Teak wood was brought in from Burma (Myanmar). Other raw materials were procured from all over the globe. Specialist workers were brought from all across the world to build this mosque. And all this was the vision of one man, Sultan Qaboos, the Sultan of Oman.


You can get a good feel of this opulence and attention to detail as you make your way through the corridors and prayer halls of this beautiful mosque. On my visit here, I simply remained astounded at this stunning architectural wonder where people pray.


The best thing about this mosque is the sheer feeling of peace it induces. You can gape in wonder for hours at the intricate work on its walls, pillars, doors and much more. Apart from being tastefully designed, the mosque offers a great setting with comfortable carpets, water and air-conditioning for its people to pray. I really liked this aspect about the mosque.


On regular days, all tourists are allowed into the mosque. The only exception to the rule are religious festival days when only Muslims are allowed. However, all tourists are required to wear clothes that cover that hands and legs completely. Women also are required to wear a head scarf.

 
The mosque is located somewhere in between the old city of Muscat and the airport. Hence, if you are staying near Mutrah Fort, you might need to take a taxi commute of 20 minutes to reach here.

 
Whether you are visiting Muscat for a short weekend trip or you are on a long holiday to Oman, do make sure that you spend at least 2-3 hours in this mosque exploring its different corners and making a connection with its spirituality.

 
Personally, I would love to return to this place. There is something about the carvings in the men’s prayer hall that have had me captivated!