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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque (Arabic: مَسْجِد ٱلشَّيْخ خَلِيْفَة بِن زَايِد آل نَهْيَان‎, romanized: Masjid Aš-Šaykh Khalīfah Bin Zāyid Al Nahyān), also known as Al Ain Grand Mosque, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Grand Mosque, or simply the Sheikh Khalifa Mosque (Arabic: مَسْجِد ٱلشَّيْخ خَلِيْفَة‎, romanized: Masjid Aš-Šaykh Khalīfah), is the largest mosque in the city of Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and one of the largest mosques in the United Arab Emirates. Open to the public since 12 April 2021, it is named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates from November 2004 until his death in May 2022.

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

See also: Islamic architecture

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).

See also

References

  1. ^ Abdul Kader, B. (31 October 2014). "Al Ain to have one of the largest mosques in UAE". Gulf News. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Grand Mosque", Al Bayaty Architects & Engineering Consultancy, ProTenders, retrieved 2 April 2018
  3. ^ Rough Guides UK, ed. (1 November 2016). The Rough Guide to Dubai. ISBN 978-0-2412-9864-0.
  4. ^ "طرح مناقصة بناء مسجد الشيخ خليفة في العين". MEED (in Arabic). Al-Bayan. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  5. ^ Rafī‘, Jamīl (23 October 2014). "مسجد الشيخ خليفة بالعين.. أيقونة المعمار والحضارة" (in Arabic). Al Ain: Al-Ittihad. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  6. ^ "العين تفتتح مسجد "الشيخ خليفة" بالعين في 2016" (in Arabic). سـنـيـار. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  7. ^ "Eid Al Fitr prayer times and venues announced by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre". WAM. The National. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  8. ^ Al-Faham, Tariq (13 May 2021). "Tahnoun bin Mohammed performs Eid al-Fitr prayers". Al Ain, U.A.E.: WAM. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  9. ^ Al Nuaimi, Rashid (28 June 2019). "Iconic Al Ain mosque work in final stages". Gulf Today. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Face to face: Ghassan Merhebi, ACC". Construction Week Online. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Sheikha Salama Mosque", APG, retrieved 1 April 2018
  12. ^ The Rough Guide to Dubai. Rough Guides UK. Penguin. 15 November 2016. p. 266. ISBN 978-0-2412-9865-7.
  13. ^ "Remains of 1,000-year-old mosque reveal a rich past". The National. Emirates 24/7. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  14. ^ Power, Timothy (13 September 2018). "How a 1,000-year-old mosque in Al Ain anchors the UAE in human history". The National. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
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