Grand Mosque of Kuwait

Grand Mosque
Grand Mosque
المسجد الكبير
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Location
Location	Kuwait City, Kuwait
	Shown within Kuwait
Geographic coordinates	29°22′44″N 47°58′29″E / 29.37889°N 47.97472°E
Architecture
Type	mosque
Completed	1986
Construction cost	13,000,000 KWD (48,644,400 USD)
Specifications
Capacity	11,000
Interior area	20,000 m2
Dome(s)	1
Dome dia. (outer)	26 m
Minaret(s)	1
Minaret height	74 m

The Grand Mosque (Arabic: المسجد الكبير) is the largest mosque in Kuwait. Its area spans 45,000 square metres (480,000 sq ft), out of which the building itself covers 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft). The main prayer hall is 72 metres (236 ft) wide on all sides, and has teakwood doors. Natural lighting is provided by 144 windows.^[1]

Overview and history

The dome of the mosque is 26 metres (85 ft) in diameter and 43 metres (141 ft) high, and is decorated with the Asma al-Husna, the 99 names of God. The mosque can accommodate up to 10,000 men in the main prayer hall, and up to 950 women in the separate hall for women. The mosque also contains a 350 square metres (3,800 sq ft) library of Islamic reference books and documents. To accommodate the large number of vehicles belonging to worshippers, the mosque also contains a 5-level car park underneath the eastern courtyard which can hold up to 550 cars. Construction on the mosque started in 1979, and the mosque was completed in 1986, first of Shawwal in 1407, or Eid ul-Fitr. The mosque's minaret, located at the northwest corner, resembles Andalusian architecture. Today it persists in a state of preservation and is open to prayers.^[2]