Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque
History
Construction of the mosque was awarded to Arabian Construction Company for AED 600 million. It started in December 2013, and was initially scheduled for completion in 2016. Formerly, the biggest mosque in use in the city was that of Shaikhah Salamah, mother of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the father of Sheikh Khalifa.
Nearby, a 1000-year-old mosque dated to the Islamic Golden Age, besides other remains relevant to the region's history, was unearthed in September 2018. Its age may make it the oldest mosque in the country.
After opening in 2021, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in Al Ain Region, offered prayers on 13 May.
Structure
The built-up area of the mosque is occupies an area of 15,684 m (168,820 sq ft), with the total area of the mosque being 256,680 m (2,762,900 sq ft). With an indoor capacity of 6,433 worshippers, and an outdoor capacity of 14,029, its total capacity would be over 20,000. It has 4 minarets measuring about 60 m (200 ft) high, which are inspired by the Great Mosque of Samarra. Additionally, there is an arcade which connects the various parts of the mosque and rims the yard with an area of 7,660 m (82,500 sq ft). It was inspired by Andalusian and Umayyad architecture.
Dome
The main feature of the mosque is a huge dome, the largest of its kind in the country, which covers the main prayer-hall. Adorned with verses from the Quran, the dome has an interior height of 31.3 m (103 ft), an interior diameter of 75 m (246 ft), an exterior diameter of 86 m (282 ft), and a total area of 4,117 m (44,320 sq ft).