Mosques are essential religious and cultural centers for Muslims around the world. Some mosques stand out not only for their spiritual significance but also for their massive and impressive architectural designs. In this article, we present the ten largest mosques globally, showcasing their grandeur and magnificence through images and a brief overview of each mosque.
The christians who practice the Christian religion are known to be the believers, followers and worshipers of Just Christ based on the scriptural teachings. Their belief and religious teachings and practices are quite different from that of those who are Muslims. The Muslims or Islamic religious worshipers believes in the teachings and instructions of the holy Prophet muhammad who was the founder of the religion. Islamic religion share some doctrines in common such as the New Year celebration and the Sallah celebration which carries a different appellation with that of the Christian religion.
There is also the days of worship and places of worship which the Muslims call the Mosque while the christians refer to it as the Church. The Muslims say their prayers four times daily with Fridays as their most recognised day of worship while the christians worship on Sundays. In this article, we will be looking at the worship place of the Islamic religion with specific consideration on some of the biggest mosques in the world.
Top 10 Biggest/Largest Mosques in The World
1. MASJID AL-HARAM: Masjid al-Haram is one of the biggest mosques in the world also known as the Great Mosque of Mecca (the holy land). Situated in Saudi Arabia, It is the very mosque that surrounds the Kaaba in Mecca, right in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. The Masjid al-Haram is a site of pilgrimage, a place where the Muslims go for their Hajj, a religious ritual every Muslim must perform at least once in their life time, if they have the means. It stands also in a place of prominence as the main phase for the ʿUmrah, which is the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time of the year.
The mosque has other significant sites that distinguishes it like the Black Stone, Maqam Ibrahim, the Zamzam Well, and the hills of Safa and Marwa. The Masjid al-Haram was considered the biggest mosque in the world as of 2020. The mosque is currently under the administration of the Saudi Arabian King who is the custodian.
2. AL MASJID AN NABAWI: Al-Masjid an-Nabawi which has an English translation as “the Prophet’s Mosque” , is one of the biggest mosques in the world. It is the very mosque built by the prophet Muhammad ( the holy Islamic prophet) in the city of Medina located in the Al Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia. The prophet had built the Al Masjid an Nabawi right after building the quba mosque.
The Al Masjid an Nabawi is the second biggest mosques in the world. It doubles as the second holiest Islamic sites in the world after the mosque in Mecca. It makes up the two holy mosques which are under the custodianship of the King of Saudi Arabia. It is also a site for Islamic pilgrimage situated in the heart of Medina. The mosque holds some significant features one of which is the Green Dome in the south-east corner of the mosque that was originally Aisha’s house (wife of the prophet). It is also the very place where the tomb of Muhammad is located.
3. HASSAN II MOSQUE: One of the biggest mosques in the world is the Hassan II Mosque which is a mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. The seventh largest mosque in the world and the largest functioning mosque in Africa. It has the minaret so tall up to 210 metres (689 ft) making it the world’s second tallest minaret. The mosque is one of the legacies of King Hassan II who saw to the cometion of the mosque.
It was a joint effort (during the construction) as most artisans in the country joined hands to see it’s completion. It was designed by Michel Pinseau and completed in 1993. As tall as the minaret is, it is about 60 stories high and topped by a laser. It has a great scenery and looks towards the atlantic ocean. It’s walls are made of marbles specially handcrafted with a roof that is retractable. The mosque has the capacity to accommodate about one hundred and five worshipers within and outside the the mosque. It is indeed one of the biggest in the world.
4. SHEIKH ZAYED MOSQUE: Another gigantic mosque that makes the list is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is one of the biggest mosques in the world situated in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest mosque in United Arab Emirates and the most frequented place for the Islamic daily prayers. The mosque has a big prayer hall, smaller prayer halls (which includes the women’s prayer hall).
It is patterned towards the great mosque in solo city in Indonesia. The carrying capacity of the mosque is approximately 40,100 with about four minarets on the four corners of the courtyard rising at about 107 m (351 ft) in height. It has a floral designed courtyard which measures about 17,000 m2 (180,000 sq ft), considered as the largest example of marble mosaic in the world.
5. FAISAL MOSQUE: The Faisal Mosque is one of the biggest mosques in the world which is also the national mosque of Pakistan. It is located in the Country’s capital Islamabad. The Faisal Mosque remains the fifth-largest mosque in the world and and undisputedly, the largest within South Asia. The mosque is symbolic and monumental as it is named after the late King Faisal I of Saudi Arabia.
The contemporary piece of Islamic architecture is frequently visited by many Muslims as a religious tourist center. The structure of the mosque covers an area of 33 acres (130,000 m2; 1,400,000 sq ft), It is one of the major influential sites in the country and definitely one of the biggest mosques in the world (sixth largest in terms of capacity).
6. JAMA MASJID: The Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa is another big mosque with great reputation. It is commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi. The mosque situated in Delhi is one of the largest mosques in India. Built between 1650 and 1656 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the mosque was inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari.
The mosque prestigiously served as the imperial mosque of the Mughal emperors until the fall of the empire in 1857. Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa is located in the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad that is the today Old Delhi.
7. BADSHAHI MOSQUE: Another very important mosque in the list of biggest mosques in the world is the Badshahi Mosque which is a Mughal-era congregational mosque. It is situated in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is one of the iconic landmarks in Lahore situated westside of Lahore Fort.
The Badshahi Mosque held the prestigious position as the biggest mosque in the world between 1673 and 1986. It was constructed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It is a historical structure of the Pakistan State and a clear image of the Mughal architecture. It is the biggest mosque in Mughal-era and one of the biggest in the world.
8. IMAM REZA SHRINE: The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is one of the biggest mosques in the world. It is considered the largest mosque in Oman which is located in the capital city of Muscat. The mosque is firmly structured and built from about 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone.
The mosque has a central dome rising to a height of about 50 metres (160 ft) above floor level. Strategically, the mosque has the dome and the main minaret which is about 90 metres (300 ft) and four flanking minarets (45.5 metres (149 ft)) and are the mosque’s main fascinating angles for great scenery. The mosque is estimated to have a carrying capacity of about 20, 000 worshipers.
9. AL-AQSA MOSQUE: Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the biggest mosques in the world which is also known as Jami’ Al-Aqsa. It has been a congregational mosque strategically situated in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque is not just big, it is symbolic and an epitome of Islamic revered relic.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is located within the metropolis of Jerusalem and in close proximity to various historical and holy sites in Judaism and Christianity. The mosque has a lot of significance, especially, geographically.
10. UGANDA NATIONAL MOSQUE: The Uganda National Mosque is one of the most fascinating mosques in the world. The mosque is situated at Kampala Hill in the Old Kampala area of Kampala right in the heart of Uganda. Considered the largest mosque in East Africa, it was completed in 2006 with a carrying capacity of about 15,000 worshipers.
The former military ruler of Libya; Colonel Muammar Gaddafi had commissioned the mosque as a gift to Uganda after it’s completion. It is one of the very few skyscraper mosques in the world.
Conclusively, Religion is a way of life and it is considered as an integral part of human needs as it has a lot of influence on human existence both, psychologically and physically (in some cases). The structural edifice for religious worship is another way of prioritizing religion.
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