Musjids of the World Series: 2

The Musjid serves as the focal point of any Muslim community and is the most important structure to Muslims.


Al-Musjid al-Haraam
(the Sacred Mosque) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, is the largest Musjid in the world. It surrounds the Ka’ba. The current structure covers 356,800m² and can hold 4 million worshippers. There are 500 marble columns, air conditioning and escalators. Built by Abraham alaihis salaam, it has been rebuilt and renovated several times.

Al-Musjid an-Nabawi
(the Mosque of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Originally built by Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, it encloses his

resting place. It has been renovated several times. The most famous feature is the green dome over the area where the grave of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is located. It was built in 1817 and painted green in 1839. The Musjid can hold half a million worshippers.

Al-Musjid al-Aqsa
(the Farthest Mosque) in Jerusalem, Palestine. Built by Umar radhiallahu anhu, the Musjid is within the complex which also houses the Dome of the Rock. This complex is on the site of the Musjid built by Prophet Solomon alaihis salaam, and was the first Qibla of Islam. The Musjid can hold 5,000 people while the whole complex can hold hundreds of thousands.

Mezquita de Córdoba
(Mosque of Cordoba) is now a cathedral in Spain. It was the most magnificent of the more than 1,000 Musjids in the city and was at one time the second largest Musjid in the Muslim world. It has giant arches, with over 1,000 columns of jasper, onyx, marble and granite.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
in Muscat, Oman was opened in 2001. It covers 416,000m² and can hold 6,500 worshippers inside with another 13,500 on the outer paved ground. It had the world’s largest one piece prayer carpet (1,700 million knots, weighing 21 tons) and the largest chandelier until the Sheikh Zayed Musjid in Abu Dhabi was built.