Overview
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Fujairah also known as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest Muslim church in the Emirate of Fujairah and is the second largest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) behind a mosque with the same name in Abu Dhabi. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Fujairah is the second largest mosque in the UAE – the largest being the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi. It opened to the public in 2015 and has 65 houses and six minarets. It can accommodate up to 28,000 worshipers and set up a women’s prayer center that can hold up to 2,500 people.
The exterior of the building looks very similar to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The interior features Moorish buildings, reminiscent of the Great Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba in the Spanish province of Andalusia. For example, like a large Spanish church, the windows of the Fujairah Grand Mosque are made of stained glass. The colors of gold and red adorn the interior and you can also find verses of the Holy Quran engraved on the walls inside. Other features that make it one of the top tourist attractions are the beautiful backyard with many gardens, flowers and fountains. In addition to being a place of worship, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah is also a landmark and is seen in many parts of the city.
History
The mosque opened in 2015, and Fujairah’s governor, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, led the first Eid prayers. The emirate is home to the oldest and newest mosque in the country with the completion of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Drawing the Blue Mosque of Istanbul in its design, it is a beautiful place of worship unique. Named in honor of the Founding Father of the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is second only in size to the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Its design is likely to be as familiar and popular as its capital name, painting the Sultan Ahmed Mosque of Istanbul, better known as the Blue Mosque behind tiles covering its interior.
Ten years into the planning and sponsorship of President Sheikh Khalifa, the construction of the Dh200 million Mosque was awarded to a team from Mabani Engineering Consulting, under the Government of Fujairah and the Department of Public Works. The company was given 700 days to complete the project. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Governor of Fujairah, also played a key role in its construction. “While we were taking over the project, we proposed a number of projects to Sheikh Hamad,” said Hesham Amin, the executive director of Mabani. Some of these early paintings included a large dome in the middle, two large minaret-like needles, a middle court and a burnt-out garden set up behind a Muslim church. “Things went smoothly under the direction of the Director,” said Mr Amin.
Sheikh Hamad was acquainted with the splendor of the Istanbul Blue Mosque, built about 200 years after the pre-estimated day of the Al Bidya Mosque. The Emperor wanted a spectacular building in the sky of the city of Fujairah as the Blue Mosque also belongs to Istanbul. Like the famous mosque on the shores of Bosphorus, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque has six minarets and a large courtyard enclosure. But appearances can be deceptive. “Even though the front of the Islamic church looks like Istanbul’s, I have added some twists,” said Mr Amin. “We are not relying too much on manual labor, cutting budgets.”
Instead, the project is a mix of Arab, Ottoman and modern materials, with about 600 workers involved in its construction. The magnificent effect is not to be missed, higher than other buildings in the area and near the road around Dibba. Each of the four large minaret, designed in the style of an ancient Ottoman needle, is 100 feet [100 m] long, while the remaining two, in the corner of the yard, are 84 feet [84 m] high. The mosque has 65 houses, including a large dome. It can accommodate up to 28,000 worshipers. The interior of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is also very different from the Turkish one, whose name is derived from the thousands of blue tiles at Iznik. In Fujairah, the walls of the main entrance are adorned with verses from the Quran, which are intended to revive the souls of worshipers.
The carpet in the main prayer hall is like a garden full of flowers. Unlike the carpet at the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, woven by one piece, considered to be the largest in the world, the carpet in Fujairah was grouped into several sections. “You have to look carefully to see the cut,” said Mr Amin. There are rows on the carpet to help ministers stand in line during prayers. “Sheikh Hamad did not want a heavy ornament that would distract the faithful standing in prayer. Our building materials come from such places as Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. ”
All candles are imported into Egypt. In the main prayer hall, a beautiful candle hanging in the center maintains its balance regardless of the view. At higher internal levels, red and gold colors were used, chosen by Sheikh Hamad for their association with the monarchy. The design also incorporates the Moorish landscape and the landscape is similar to that of the Great Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba in Spain. Many windows include stained glass. The basement has more than 200 bathrooms. It also leads to a spacious women’s prayer hall, which can seat 2,500 women, The mosque opened its doors for the first time last month, with Eid Al Adha prayers led by Sheikh Hamad and evacuating worshipers from across the UAE.
“We were given 700 days to complete the project and almost completed it within the allotted time,” said Mr. Amin. “Now the remaining part is a garden and 3,000 parking lots.” Fujairah is already home to more than 290 mosques, but it is the oldest and most recent one that has given them a special place in the UAE.
Structure
Similar to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, this large white mosque is a spectacular sight from many parts of the city center. It can accommodate about 28,000 artists, with an average of 39,000 m2 (3.9 ha; 9.6 acres). It has 65 houses and six minarets, between 80 and 100 meters (260 and 330 meters) in height. The courtyard of the mosque, with its fountains and gardens, can hold 14,000 people.
