The most beautiful mosque in the world where it is located. The most famous mosques in the world and the largest mosques in the CIS countries

One of the testaments of the Prophet Muhammad says: “If anyone builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build a similar one in Paradise.” Therefore, the construction of mosques is considered a deed pleasing to God. And in recent years the trend has only gained momentum. Countries seem to be competing for the right to be considered the location of the most beautiful, most famous, most structures for Muslim prayer. "WB" decided to make a selection of the largest mosques in the world.

Al-Haram Mosque or Forbidden Mosque

The largest mosque in the world is the al-Haram mosque in Mecca. It surrounds one of the main shrines in Islam - the Kaaba. During the Hajj, pilgrims gather around the Kaaba and perform rites of worship. Muslim believers all over the world turn to the Kaaba while reading prayers, wherever they are.

The mosque was first built on this site in 638. In 2007, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia began a large-scale reconstruction of it, which was completed two years ago. Now the building area is 400 thousand 800 square meters, including internal and external places for prayers. It is designed for 4 million pilgrims. Now the mosque is a pentagonal building with sides of different lengths and a flat roof. Three pairs of minarets rise in three corners of the structure, marking the entrances to the mosque. The fourth and fifth corners are connected by a covered gallery. In total, the mosque has nine minarets, the height of which reaches 95 meters. There was also room for modern innovations in the shrine - there are seven escalators and air conditioning.

Prophet's Mosque Masjid al-Nabawi

The Prophet's Mosque Masjid an-Nabawi, or simply the Prophet's Mosque. It is located in Medina ( Saudi Arabia). It is believed that the Prophet Muhammad himself built it in 622 AD. e.

Initially, the mosque looked like an open terrace covered with palm leaves, and in the middle there was a platform for reading the Koran.

Now in the center of the Prophet's Mosque there is a very small, but very interesting place, called the Garden of Eden - from the Prophet's platform to his grave. Pilgrims always try to visit this place - after all, according to legend, it is part of heaven on Earth. The Prophet's Mosque is rightfully considered a unique masterpiece in the history of architecture. But there was also room for innovation here. For example, a comfortable temperature in the mosque is maintained by air conditioners located 7 km from the building itself.

This mosque is a unique architectural structure in its luxurious beauty and large-scale grandeur; it is not without reason that it has another name - the Grand Mosque. The idea of ​​such a grandiose Islamic structure arose on the initiative of Sheikh Zayed in the late 80s of the last century. It took 10 years to develop a unique project and another 10 years to turn the idea into reality. Over 600 million euros were spent on construction. The official grand opening of this beautiful architectural structure took place in 2007. It can accommodate up to 41 thousand worshipers. The mosque is decorated with 82 domes, a thousand columns, chandeliers gilded with gold leaf, and the world's largest hand-woven carpet. The main prayer hall is illuminated by one of the grandest chandeliers in the world. The sparkling pools surrounding the mosque highlight its beauty. During the day the building glitters in the sun white and gold, and at night it is flooded with artificial light.

Faisal Mosque in Islamabad

The largest mosque in Southeast and South Asia and the fourth largest mosque in the world. Construction of the mosque began in 1976 by the National Construction Organization of Pakistan. It was financed by the government of Saudi Arabia. The cost of the project was approximately $120 million. King Faisal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud contributed to the financing of the construction of the temple, which is why both the mosque and the road leading to it were named after him. The author of the project created a structure reminiscent of a Bedouin tent instead of traditional domes. Minarets 90 meters high were built on four sides of the main hall. At the entrance to the mosque there is a small courtyard with a small round pond and fountains. The walls of this mosque are covered with white marble and decorated with mosaics, calligraphy and amazing Turkish style chandeliers. The prayer hall can accommodate 10 thousand believers. There is an additional hall for 24 thousand, another 40 thousand can be accommodated in the courtyard.

Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Mosque

One of the most beautiful mosques in Istanbul. Considered a modern wonder of the world. The mosque has six minarets: four, as usual, on the sides, and two slightly less tall ones on the outer corners. It is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Islamic and world architecture. Construction of the mosque began in 1609 and was completed in 1616. The mosque can accommodate up to 10 thousand people.

Jama Masjid Mosque.

The temple was built in 1650-1656 during the time of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who also initiated the construction of the famous Taj Mahal. The name Jama comes from the word Jammah, which is the name of the weekly service held at noon every Friday. Jama Masjid has an impressive size and can accommodate 25 thousand people. It is a complex of a main building and a high wall surrounding a courtyard. The overall dimensions are 8,058 meters by 549 meters. The courtyard can be accessed through one of three gates - South, North and East, each gate is reached by a large staircase, and each has a different number of steps, the longest consists of 774 steps and leads to the North Gate. The central building has a square shape and is built on a kind of platform 1.5 meters high. On its roof there are eight domes decorated with white and purple marble stripes. The two three-level minarets of the mosque are 41 meters high and built of white marble and red sandstone. Each of them has a staircase of 130 steps.

Mosque "Heart of Chechnya"

The mosque named after the first president of Chechnya, Akhmat Kadyrov, which is also called the Heart of Chechnya, was built in the center of Grozny. In the ranking of the largest mosques in the world, it is in 16th place. The temple was built in the classical Ottoman style. The central hall of the mosque is covered with a huge dome with a diameter of 16 meters and a height of 32 meters. The height of the four minarets is 63 meters each - they are considered one of the tallest minarets in Russia. The area of ​​the mosque is 5 thousand square meters, and the capacity is more than 10 thousand people. The same number of believers can pray in the summer gallery and square adjacent to the mosque. This mosque was painted by masters from Turkey. The temple building has increased earthquake resistance. In the adjacent territory there are several fountains, places for recreation, and alleys. The height of the prayer niche in the wall of the mosque is 8 meters high and 4.6 meters wide. It is worth noting that it faces towards Mecca, indicating the direction for believers during prayer.

Turkmenbashi Rukhy Mosque

The main mosque of Turkmenistan, Turkmenbashi Rukhy, was built in the homeland of Saparmurat Niyazov, the first president of Turkmenistan. It is located in the village of Kipchak, 15 km from Ashgabat. The giant mosque amazes the imagination, impresses with its beauty and grandeur, but leaves a strange impression of depression from what he sees. This huge structure, entirely lined with white marble, was built by specially invited French architects and builders and cost the state treasury $100 million. The mosque covers an area of ​​18 thousand square meters. m., the ceiling height reaches 55 meters, and the height of its four free-standing minarets is 80 meters. Seven thousand men and three thousand women can pray there at the same time. The building has eight more entrances, in front of each of which there are arched gates and cascades of fountains. The mosque has heated floors, which are shaped like an eight-pointed star and covered with a 215 square meter carpet. On the territory of the mosque there are special rooms for ablutions and ritual events for 5 thousand people. An underground parking lot for 100 buses and 400 cars was built not far from the mosque. The walls of the mosque are decorated not only with sayings from the Koran, but also with quotes from Saparmurat Niyazov’s book “Rukhnama”.

The Cathedral Mosque in Astana is the largest in Central Asia. At the suggestion of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the mosque was named “Hazret Sultan”, which means “Holy Sultan”. It is surrounded by four minarets, each 77 meters high. One of the architectural advantages of the new mosque is also its 10 domes. The building itself was built in the classical Islamic style using traditional Kazakh ornaments. It can accommodate up to 10 thousand people. The cost of construction of the temple is $6 million 840 thousand. This money was allocated by the Emir of the State of Qatar.

At the moment, the largest mosque is being built in the capital of Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek. As the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan assures, the new central mosque will be completed in one and a half to two years. The site for its construction was allocated back in 2009; it occupies 3.5 hectares. It was previously planned that construction would be completed by 2012, but given time Only the frame work has been completed. Türkiye allocates money. According to preliminary data, $10 million was spent on the work carried out. The height of the minarets will reach 60 meters, the mosque will be decorated with stones, marble, and the decor will be in the Turkish style. It is designed for 10 thousand people.

Closed for large-scale reconstruction with complete rebuilding back in May 2005.

The renovated Cathedral Mosque has become one of the largest not only in Russia, but throughout Europe. The total area is 18,900 square meters, the first place in our country. The mosque can accommodate up to 10,000 worshipers, which, however, is inferior to the mosque in Makhachkala.

And although the very purpose of the mosque is not to be the largest, different cities and regions still try to find some aspect in which the religious buildings located on their territory would stand out from others. Following this tradition, AiF.ru decided to compile a list of the ten largest Russian mosques, based on the number of worshipers who can perform namaz right on the premises of the building.

The central mosque in the city of Nazran was built about 20 years ago. She was named in honor Mukhamad-Basira Ozdoeva, who died during the Ossetian-Ingush conflict in 1992. The mosque is designed to accommodate about 2 thousand believers at a time.

Central mosque of Nazran. Photo: RIA Novosti / Valery Melnikov

Surprisingly, the largest mosque located in the Ural-Siberian region, the Surgut Cathedral Mosque, which, like the Nazran mosque, accommodates about 2 thousand people, also made it into the rating. It is interesting that a madrasah was opened at the mosque in Surgut - a Muslim educational institution that plays the role of high school and theological seminary. Specialists from creative workshops from Ufa and Naberezhnye Chelny were involved in painting the prayer hall.

Surgut Cathedral Mosque. Photo: www.russianlook.com

8. Central mosque in Alkhan-Yurt

In 2012, one of the largest mosques in Chechnya opened, located in the village of Alkhan-Yurt, Urus-Martan district. More than two thousand people will be able to pray in the mosque at the same time. On the lower floor there is a madrasah with a capacity of up to three hundred people with separate rooms for boys and girls, as well as rooms for Friday prayers for women. The new mosque in Alkhan-Yurt was named after a local resident, former mufti of Chechnya, theologian Magomed-Beshira-Khadzhi Arsanukaeva.

Mosque in Alkhan-Yurt. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / CC-BY-SA 3.0/Simba16

In seventh place in terms of capacity is the Samara congregational mosque, in which about 5 thousand people can simultaneously perform prayers. The architectural complex includes the Nur madrasah, designed for 60 students. The total area of ​​the complex is 4800 square meters. The mosque was opened to believers on November 28, 1999. The project of a brick building with a minaret 67 meters high and a dome with a diameter of 13.5 meters has been prepared Rasim Valshin.

Samara Cathedral Mosque. Photo: www.russianlook.com

6. Nizhny Novgorod Cathedral Mosque

The Nizhny Novgorod Cathedral Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the country. It was opened in 1915 on the Kazan embankment. The building belongs to the Tatar community of the city and can accommodate up to 5,000 believers. In 1994, a building was built next to the mosque in which the Makhinur madrasah was opened. Before this, classes were held on the second floor of the mosque.

Madrasah and cathedral mosque in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

5. Mosque named after Sultan Delimkhanov in the village of Dzhalka

In 2011, one of the largest mosques in the country at that time, located in the village of Dzhalka, was opened. It is designed for 5 thousand seats. The opening of the mosque is timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the first President of the Chechen Republic, Hero of Russia Akhmata-Khadzhi Kadyrov.

Mosque named after Sultan Delimkhanov. Photo: RIA Novosti / Said Tsarnaev

The same number of people, 5 thousand, can be accommodated by the Cathedral Mosque of St. Petersburg, the construction of which began during the Russian Empire. For a very long time it was the largest mosque in the European part of the country. Construction was dictated by considerations of political correctness: with the annexation to Russia under Alexandra III Central Asia at court sought to respect the interests of the Muslim community. The mosque is made in the stylized forms of the Samarkand and Cairo architectural schools.

Cathedral Mosque of St. Petersburg. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / CC-BY-SA 3.0/AlexGusarov

The construction of one of the largest mosques not only in Russia, but also in Europe in the capital of the Chechen Republic, Grozny, was completed on October 16, 2008. “Heart of Chechnya” is named after Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov. The area of ​​the mosque is 5000 square meters and its capacity is more than 10 thousand people. The same number of believers can pray in the summer gallery and square adjacent to the main building. “Heart of Chechnya”, built in the classical Ottoman style, is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in the country. The central hall is covered with a huge dome with a diameter of 16 meters and a height of 32 meters. The height of the four minarets is 63 meters, making them one of the tallest minarets in Russia.

Mosque "Heart of Chechnya" named after Akhmat Kadyrov. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / CC-BY-SA 3.0/Salman

2. Moscow Cathedral Mosque

Officially opened on September 23, 2015, the renovated Moscow mosque ranks only second in terms of capacity. True, so far it has not been possible to verify in practice the stated figure of 10 thousand people praying at the same time. Perhaps after the mosque is opened to the general public, this figure will increase. But the Cathedral Mosque, without a doubt, is the largest in area - 18.9 thousand square meters. The height of the dome is 46 meters, and the minarets rise above the city by 72 meters, which is still a record figure for our country.

1. Central Juma Mosque of Makhachkala “Yusuf Bey Jami”

One of the most beautiful mosques in Russia, the central Juma Mosque of Makhachkala, was built as a semblance of the legendary Blue Mosque located in Istanbul. Interestingly, the construction was made possible thanks to the help of one of the rich Turkish families. Construction was completed in 1997. After reconstruction in 2007, the Juma Mosque can accommodate up to 15 thousand people within its walls.

Central Mosque of Makhachkala. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Fedorenko

A mosque is a sacred place for all Muslims, a place for prayer and spiritual purification. As Islam spreads, beautiful mosques are appearing all over the world. They are amazing not only externally, but also their interior amazes with its beauty. We offer an overview of the most fantastic mosques in the world.

Mosque al-Haram (Sacred Mosque) is located in Mecca. This is the largest mosque in the world, surrounding one of the greatest shrines in Islam - the Kaaba. The building area is 400,800 square meters, including indoor and outdoor prayer areas. It is designed to accommodate 4 million pilgrims during the Hajj. The modern mosque, after many reconstructions, is a pentagonal closed building with sides of different lengths and a flat roof. Three pairs of minarets rise in the three corners of the structure, marking the entrances to the mosque. The fourth and fifth corners are connected by a covered gallery. In total, the mosque has 9 minarets, the height of which reaches 95 m. Modern innovations have not been forgotten - there are 7 escalators and air conditioners.

Masjid an-Nabawi is the second shrine in Islam, which is also called the prophet’s mosque, since it was built by the prophet Muhammad. In terms of size, it also ranks second after the al-Haram mosque. In the center of the mosque is the Green Dome, where the tomb of the prophet is located. The first dome over the grave was built in 1279, after which it was reconstructed many times, and in 1837 it was painted green, which is how it remains to this day. The layout of this particular mosque was adopted as the canon for other mosques around the world. The construction contained the main elements of the composition of a columned mosque: an open rectangular courtyard and a prototype of the future columned hall, oriented initially towards Jerusalem, and later towards Mecca. The main prayer hall occupies the entire first floor. The mosque can accommodate up to 500 thousand believers. The mosque has 10 minarets, each 105 m high.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a true masterpiece of architectural art and is one of the largest mosques in the world. Its construction cost approximately $545 million and took 12 years, during which 3,500 workers from 38 companies around the world worked on the implementation of the grandiose project. It can accommodate up to 41,000 worshipers. The mosque is decorated with 82 domes, a thousand columns, chandeliers gilded with gold leaf, and the world's largest hand-woven carpet. The main prayer hall is illuminated by one of the most grandiose chandeliers in the world (10 meters in diameter, 15 meters in height, weighing 12 tons). The sparkling pools surrounding the mosque highlight its beauty. During the day the building glitters in the sun white and gold, and at night it is flooded with artificial light.

4. Great Mosque of Hassan II, Casablanca (Morocco)

The Great Mosque of Hassan II, built in 1993, is located in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. It is the largest mosque in the country and the seventh largest mosque in the world. Its minaret is the tallest in the world - 210 meters, higher than the Cheops pyramid. At the top of the minaret there is a laser, the light from which is directed towards Mecca. The author of the project is the French architect Michel Pinseau. According to rough estimates, 500-800 million dollars were spent on construction. The building stands on a ledge washed by the Atlantic Ocean, through the glass floor you can see the seabed. The mosque is designed for a maximum of 105 thousand parishioners praying together: 25 thousand inside and 80 thousand outside.

The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is a royal mosque located in the capital of the Sultanate of Brunei. It is considered the most beautiful mosque in the Pacific region, attracting thousands of tourists. The building was built in 1958 in an artificial lagoon on the banks of the Brunei River, it is a striking example of modern Islamic architecture, combining Mughal and Italian styles. It is impossible to take your eyes off the 44-meter-high marble minarets and golden domes, huge courtyards and luxurious gardens with fountains. The mosque is surrounded by huge gardens, symbolizing paradise. The interior is no less luxurious than the exterior: the floors and walls are made of the best Italian marble, stained glass windows and chandeliers were brought from Britain, luxurious carpets were woven in Saudi Arabia and Belgium, a fantastic mosaic of 3.5 million pieces was brought from Venice.

The Zahir Mosque is located in the capital of the Malaysian state of Kedah. This is one of the oldest and largest mosques in the country. Built back in 1912, it covers an area of ​​approximately 11,500 square meters. The mosque has 5 large domes, symbolizing the five basic principles of Islam. The area of ​​its central hall is 350 square meters, it is surrounded by verandas with mezzanines.

The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Southeast and South Asia and the fourth largest mosque in the world. The author of the project is Turkish architect Vidat Dalokay, who instead of traditional domes created a structure reminiscent of a Bedouin tent. He won the competition, which received 43 proposals from 17 countries. Minarets 90 meters high were built on four sides of the main hall. At the entrance to the mosque there is a small courtyard with a small round pond and fountains. The stairs on the left side lead to the main courtyard and to another large pond with fountains. Inside, the walls are covered in white marble and decorated with mosaics, calligraphy by Pakistani artist Sadeqain and amazing Turkish-style chandeliers. The prayer hall can accommodate 10,000 believers. There is an additional hall for 24,000, and another 40,000 can be accommodated in the courtyard.

The Taj Mosque, whose name translates as “The Crown of Mosques,” is located in the city of Bhopal in central India. This is one of the largest mosques in Asia. Construction began during the reign of the Mughal Khan Bahadur Shah Zafar, then continued under his daughter. But due to a lack of funds, construction resumed only in 1971 and was completed in 1985. East Gate were reconstructed using ancient motifs from 1,250 Syrian mosques with the help of the Kuwaiti emir, who so perpetuated the memory of his wife. Inside the Taj Mosque there is a large courtyard with a water tank in the center.

The Badshahi Mosque in the Pakistani city of Lahore was built in 1673. It is the second largest mosque in the country and south Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world. It can accommodate 55,000 worshipers in the main hall and 95,000 in the courtyard. The main hall is divided into seven sections by ornamented arches supported by powerful columns, three of which carry double domes decorated on the outside with white marble. The interior of the main prayer hall is richly decorated with openwork patterns, frescoes and marble. Externally, the mosque is decorated with carved stone and marble designs on red sandstone.

The Sultan Hussein Mosque, built back in 1928, is still considered the main religious building in Singapore. Since the completion of construction, it has remained virtually unchanged, only in 1960 and 1993 some reconstructions were carried out. The author of the project is British architect Denis Santry. The area of ​​the two-story mosque is 4100 square meters, it is designed for 5000 believers.
Religious buildings of any religion, symbolizing the faith and hope of people, always look majestic and luxurious. For their construction the most best places, even if so distant. To come to God, it turns out that you need to exert not only mental, but also physical strength.

A mosque is not only a place of worship for followers of Islam, but also a place that plays a social, aesthetic and political role in Muslim society. The first mosques were built on the Arabian Peninsula, then as Islam spread, mosques also began to be built throughout the world. The size of mosques can be determined by various criteria: the area of ​​the building, the area of ​​the entire occupied territory, capacity, that is, the number of believers that the mosque and its main courtyard can simultaneously accommodate. It was the last criterion that became fundamental for the mosque of the world in the rating presented below.

1

This first shrine of Islam is known as the House of God. Its history begins in 638 AD. e. It has 9 minarets, each 89 m in height. The total area is 88.2 hectares.

2 Masjid Al - Nabawi (Saudi Arabia) - about 1 million believers

The second largest mosque in the world is located in the Medina area and was opened in 622 AD. e. It was built by Muhammad next to the house where he settled after his trip to Medina. A characteristic feature is the green dome and 11 minarets, each 105 m high.

3 Imam Reza Temple (Iran) – 700 thousand believers

This huge complex marks the death site of the seventh Shia Imam, Reza. It has seven courtyards, each of which can simultaneously accommodate 100 thousand people. Located in Mashhad.

4 Faisal Mosque (Pakistan) – 300 thousand believers

Pakistan's largest mosque is located in the capital Islamabad. This huge and spacious mosque has a unique design - it imitates a Bedouin tent. Thus, it does not have a traditional dome. However, it is decorated with 4 minarets, each 90 m high. Occupies an area of ​​5 thousand m. sq.

5 Taj-ul-Masjid (India) – 175 thousand believers

Located in the city of Bhopal in India. Construction of the mosque began in the 1800s, but, unfortunately, due to political instability and lack of funds, it was delayed and ended, according to some sources, in 1901, according to others, it was opened in 1985. The architectural style is typical of the architecture of the Great Mughal.

6 Istaklal Mosque (Indonesia) – 120 thousand believers

Opened in memory of Indonesian independence in 1978 in Jakarta. The main dome has a diameter of 45 meters, symbolizing the year of Indonesian independence - 1945. It is distinguished by a modern style, which has prompted critics to question its similarities with Islamic and Indonesian culture.

7 Hassan II Mosque (Morocco) - 105 thousand believers

The largest mosque in Morocco was completed in 1993 in Casablanca. It has the tallest minaret in the world - 210 m. Around the mosque there is a beautiful garden with 41 fountains.

8 Badshahi Mosque (Pakistan) – 100 thousand believers

The construction of this mosque was completed in 1673 during the Mughal rule. The architecture shows a symbiosis of Islamic, Persian culture and Indian style. It has 3 domes - one central and two located to the right and left of the main dome, 4 minarets 15 m high.

9 Jama Masjid (India) – 75 thousand believers

Located in Delhi. Built of sandstone and white marble in 1656. Keeps many relics, including the Holy Koran, written on deerskin.

10 Saleh Mosque (Yemen) – 44 thousand believers

Opened in 2008, it is not only the largest mosque in Yemen, but also the main attraction of the country. Has special areas intended for women. The mosque is equipped with a modern sound system, air conditioning, a library and parking space.