Oman Travel | Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat.

| Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat. In the Middle East, the most gorgeous and exquisite buildings are definitely the local mosques! This "law" also applies to Oman, where the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the capital Muscat is a must-see for architecture photography enthusiasts. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque was built in 1995, funded by the then Sultan Qaboos of Oman, as the national mosque of Oman. I read online that it was built as the largest mosque in the world at the time, until the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi was completed in 2007. But to be honest, in my humble opinion, the largest mosque is undoubtedly the one in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and in terms of area and building area, the mosque in Mashhad, Iran, can also be ranked ahead. If you have to say something leading, it should be said that this is the most luxurious, right?! The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is located in the southwest corner of the capital, in a huge garden. From a distance, you will be attracted by its main minaret, which is as high as 90 meters, and the main hall with a dome and four small minarets, giving the whole building a harmonious and unified feeling. The main building is not pure white like Abu Dhabi, but natural off-white Indian sandstone, with brown cloisters, which is very in line with the current low-saturation aesthetic. Through the small fountain garden on the east side, there is a brown cloister around the four small towers. In the middle is a courtyard, with smooth stone walls on the ground and walls. All visitors will line up to enter the main hall to see the giant Swarovski crystal chandelier, which is 14 meters long, and the carpet in the main hall is said to be the second largest in the world, woven by hundreds of Persian craftsmen over four years, completely seamless and covering the entire main hall. The front wall of the main hall is decorated with Persian-style mosaic tiles, which should also be the work of Iranian craftsmen, but it is said that the columns are Turkish craftsmanship, and with the gorgeous stained glass, the entire main hall can really be described as luxurious and elegant. Like many other mosques, it is closed all day on Fridays. It is open from 8:30 am to 11:00 am on other days. Local believers enter through the two doors on the south side, but tourists can only enter from the garden area on the east side. It is strongly recommended to come early in the morning, so that it is easier to take photos with fewer people.