A trip to Kuwait would often encourage you to visit the Kuwait Grand Mosque, where the mainly Muslim denomination goes to pray and worship. It is said that this temple is the biggest mosque in the country, and it is the official sanctuary, which means that religious celebrations are often held here. If you are itching for a tour of this place, you need only travel to the very heart of the city, and you won’t miss its magnificent façade. Locals refer to it as Al-Masjid Al-Kabir, and it is internationally acclaimed for its Islamic architecture and intricate detailing. Indeed, the designers and builders have put a lot of effort in creating this establishment, starting the project way back in 1979, and finally completing it seven years later in 1986.
The Kuwait Grand Mosque has an area space, which covers about 45,000 square meters or 480,000 square feet. Aside from its wide floor plan, the buildings, which make up the whole temple, are also quite large. In fact, one of these partitions uses a ground plot that spans 20,000 square meters or 220,000 square feet. Its center portion is used as the main hall for prayer, which has an overall diameter of 72 meters. It is equipped with 21 teakwood doors that are not only beautiful, but moist-repellent, as well, to avoid the early signs of wear and tear. Even though it is built with standard lighting systems, the church depends more on the 144 windows for illumination. The mosque has a clear dome that has a diameter of 85 feet and a height of 141 feet.
Careful attention is given to the detailing of the Kuwait Grand Mosque, as seen on its dome, which is adorned with the Asma Al-Hosna or the “99 names of God”. Its minaret, which is built on the temple’s northwestern side, is easily distinguishable by its Andalusian-like style of architecture. The chief prayer hall, located at the heart of the mosque, is exclusively used by male worshippers. With its floor space, it can hold up to ten thousand men. The sanctuary is built with a separate prayer room for women. It is smaller than the main hall, and it can only accommodate one thousand female worshippers. The courtyard is also open for devout Muslims, especially for those who want to calm their minds first.
If you are the type of person who loves to read, and you are excited to know more about the history of the Kuwait Grand Mosque and about Islam in general, the sanctuary is equipped with its own library. This room has a floor space of 350 square meters or 3,800 square feet. While it is forbidden to take these books out of the chamber, you can still look at these books and documents with all the comfort you need with the tables, chairs, and lamps available inside. Since the mosque accommodates more than 10,000 worshippers, designers have installed a five-level car park that can cater to 550 vehicles at once. This parking lot is located east of the courtyard.
The Kantaji Temple of Bangladesh
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