In terms of classification, a mosque is any building that belongs to any Islamic school or branch, so taking that rule of thumb into account we can then find out what the ten largest mosques are from around the world and this list is arranged in terms of area size rather than capacity which could be artificially accurate. Some of these are going to be pretty obvious to most who follow the religion, but there will be a few on this list that might surprise you.
Imam Reza Shrine – Area (m2): 598,657
(i) – The Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran, is a complex which contains the mausoleum of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Twelver Shias. It is among the largest mosques in the world by area.
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque – Area (m2): 416,000
(i) – Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat is one of the most beautiful and extravagant modern mosques in the world. This grand iconic structure in the Arab world took six years to build.
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi – Area (m2): 384,000
(i) – Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, known in English as The Prophet’s Mosque, and also known as Al-Haram, Al Haram Al Madani and Al Haram Al Nabawi by locals, is a mosque built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the city of Medina in the Al Madinah Province of Saudi Arabia
Masjid al-Haram – Area (m2): 356,000
(i) – Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām (The Forbidden Mosque) is the largest mosque in the world. Located in the city of Mecca, it surrounds the Kaaba, the place which Muslims worldwide turn towards while offering daily prayers and is Islam’s holiest place. The mosque is also known as the Grand Mosque.
Grand Jamia Mosque, Bahria Town, Karachi – Area (m2): 200,000
(i) – The Bahria Town Karachi Masjid is being designed with Islamic and Mughal style architecture and draws inspiration from the masjid in Turkey, Malaysia, Iran, UAE and Kuwait. It has a state-of-the-art Islamic Research Centre, Islamic Museum, Islamic Cultural Centre and an International University.
Djamaa el Djazaïr – Area (m2): 200,000
(i) – Flanked by the tallest minaret on African soil, the Great Mosque of Algiers, also known as the Bouteflika Mosque, is a much-discussed monument, a political project and advanced architecture at the meantime.
Faisal Mosque – Area (m2): 130,000
(i) – Although it is allegedly based on the shape of a Bedouin tent, the Faisal Mosque looks more like an interstellar spaceport. Employing modern architecture, higher-level geometry and a reference to the holiest site in Mecca, the Faisal Mosque is a unique confluence of Islamic inspiration across generations.
Great Mosque of Central Java – Area (m2): 130,000
(i) – Completed in 2006, the Great Mosque of Central Java in Semarang is the largest and most important mosque in the province, with a capacity to accommodate up to 16,000 worshippers. In addition to the main prayer hall, the mosque complex comprises ablution facilities, an auditorium, and museum, a building for the Islamic cultural office, shops, guest houses, a radio studio and library, as well as an open courtyard with minarets.
1st November of 1954 Great Mosque – Area (m2): 42,000
(i) – 1st November of 1954 Great Mosque is a mosque in the city of Batna, Algeria. The mosque is located in the street bound to the city of Biskra. It was constructed as an installation to celebrate Islam. The project was initially originated back in 1980.
Jameh Mosque of Makki – Area (m2): 33,000
(i) – The Grand Makki Mosque of Zahedan is the largest Sunni mosque in Iran and is located in the centre of Zahedan, the capital of the province Sistan and Baluchestan. The founder of the mosque was Maulana Abd al-Aziz Mullahzada who until his death in 1987 had the most important Sunni religious authority of the Baloch in Sistan-Balochistan in Iran.
Have you ever visited any of these mosques? Have you prayed in one of them? If you have why not tell us about your experience in the comments below.
