Unveiling World's Beautiful Mosques

The Floating Mosque

Year Built: 1995

This Malaysian mosque is almost its own island, as it encompasses around 5 acres, can hold about 2,000 people at one time, and tranquilly sits on the Kuala Ibai Lagoon. Its architecture recalls Moorish influences.

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque

Year Built: 1974
This Malaysian mosque, commissioned by the Sultan of its namesake, has the second tallest minarets in the world at 142' tall. The mosque was commissioned to commemorate the dedication of Shah Alam as the new capital of Selangor, Mayasia, in 1974.

The Hassaan II Mosque

Year Built: 1993
The Hassaan II Mosque of Casablanca boasts the tallest minaret in the world at 240' tall. The mosque sits largely on reclaimed land on the coast of the Atlantic ocean, and at night, a spotlight shines from the top of the minaret in the direction of Mecca.

The Mosque of Damascus

Year Built: 1590
The Mosque of Damascus paved the way for many payer spaces supported by a series of columns, also known as "hypostyle halls". It is embedded in a thoroughly Byzantine context, and the decorative scheme of mosaics and tile work reflect the desire to incorporate the cultural surroundings into the mosque's design.

Islamic Cultural Center of New York

Year Built: 1991
This mosque on the upper east side of Manhattan was a collaborative effort from many patrons to create a space that represents American Islam. Its facade connects itself to the Persian architectural tradition through its use of brick and blue tile, yet its thoroughly modern design plants it in the architectural scheme of New York City.

The Badshahi Mosque, or Royal Mosque

Year Built: 1671
At nearly 528' square, the Badshadhi Mosque has the largest courtyard of any mosque in the world (that of the Taj Mahal is 186' squared). Its size and grandeur epitomizes the time during which it was built: the Mughal era in Pakistan's history.

Al Nileen Mosque

Year Built: 1976
This mosque in Sudan takes the iconic shape of a dome perforated with windows, something first seen in the Hagia Sophia, an brings it thoroughly into the 20th century. The dome becomes a geometric hemisphere with a stylized minaret and pointed windows, which allow for sweeping views of the surrounding land.

Masjid al-Haram, or The Grand Mosque

Year Built: ongoing
At the heart of The Grand Mosque in Mecca lies the Ka'aba, or the house that Abraham built. The current structure covers 88.2 acres of land, and it is under another expansion project slated to finish in 2020. The structure can accommodate up to 4 million worshippers during the Hajj period, which constitutes one of the largest gatherings in the world.

The Mosque of Ibn Tulun

Year Built: 879
The mosque, situated in Cairo, represents the importation of Samarran style to Egypt. Its stucco covered exterior is impactful through its lack of ornamentation. Its facade is sleek and artistically calm.

The Faisal Mosque

Year Built: 1986
The Faisal mosque is the work of Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, and stands as the largest mosque in Pakistan, and one of the largest mosques in the world. Its design allows for an unbroken prayer hall flooded with light. The large, circular chandelier recalls lighting systems that one typically finds in traditional mosques of the past, and the designs on the carpet subtly direct prayer towards Mecca.

The Blue Mosque

Year Built: 1616
The shape of this mosque directly references the Haghia Sophia, but it seeks to impress through its size. Domes are built upon domes, with windows galore to provide a miraculously lit, cavernous prayer space inside.

The Great Mosque of Samarra

Year Built: 848 to 851
The Great Mosque of Samarra, which is now largely in ruin, save its spiraling minaret, was once the largest mosque in the world. Its stucco designs represented early Islamic forms of decoration and influenced many mosques in the surrounding area.

The Dome of the Rock

Year Built: 689 to 691
While it may not be a mosque, The Dome of the Rock holds incredible Islamic significance as the building which contains the rock from which Muhammad ascended to heaven.