Sultan Qaboos Mosque: A Solace of Peace

If you are in Oman and you want to have a solace of peace, head on to Sultan Qaboos Mosque. You'll find the stunning Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque towards the western end of Muscat’s long urban sprawl, the suburb of Ghubrah. Luckily I got the chance of living in this suburb where it only take 5 minutes for me to reach this great architecture. Opened in 2001, this is the only mosque in Oman open to non-Muslims and one of the largest in the Gulf, with room for an estimated 20,000 worshipers in the two prayer halls and surrounding courtyard.  

The mosque itself sits within a walled compound with a minaret at each corner. Within that compound is a stunning greenery of gardens growing against the scorching heat of dessert. 

As you can see, the general style is of a Islamic contemporary architecture, finished in large quantities of white and light brown marbles. A breathtaking view every time you passes this magnificent landmark that decorate the dessert of the place.

During Friday afternoon, you can only visit the surroundings as it is closed to visitors. At this point, visitors can wear their normal clothes. However, during visiting hours, especially if you wish to visit the interior one has to be in proper dress especially ladies who are obliged to wear Abaya (the black lady's Muslim dress) or at least wear some veils in the head covering the head which they call "shela", Visitors are obliged to remove their foot wears before entering the prayer hall