When it comes to mosques in Qatar, no one can beat the greatness and gloriousness of the Imam Abdul Wahhab Mosque settled in a prominent neighborhood of Doha and visible from a distance. The mosque was opened to the public in 2011 by the Father Amir His Highness Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani (he was the Amir at that time) and is popular as the Qatar State Grand Mosque. This Grand Mosque has a contemporary design with a traditional Qatari, but elegant façade and its amazingly beautiful interior design and stylistic layout.
HISTORY
The first Grand Mosque was worked by the founder of Qatar Sheik Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, who had the mosque developed in memory of his dad who died in Sheik Jassim’s absence, when he was away for a military campaign in the Zubara area of the country. He said of his dad’s death when he came back from Zubara in 1878.
The Grand Mosque was renovated to give the look and feel that it has today. The renovation started on 16 December 2006 and the total expense of this work was QR 420 million riyals.
The man behind the mosque’s name
Imam Muhammad Ibn Abd Al Wahhab (1703 – 1792) was a famous religious Muslim leader, reformer, scholar and pioneer during the 18th century who educate peoples to follow the teaching of the Quran and the Sunnah (teaching and ways of Prophet Muhammad). He had a place with the Najd area located in the Central district of Saudi Arabia.
The Façade
The façade of the Grand Mosque is constructed with sandstone and has preserved traditional highlights of Qatar’s rich legacy and its productive history. The mosque isn’t not high and the smaller domes on the building emulate the structure constraints that Qatar faced when it was not a rich country.
At night, the mosque is lit up with strategically placed lighting that adds to all marvel of Qatar’s most prominent mosque.
There are 93 domes on the Grand Mosque; 65 of them make up the outer quadrangle of the mosque, while 28 bigger sized domes protect the main hall.
There are 20 entrances in the mosque, in which three are main doors and 17 are side entrances. These doors facilitate the large quantities of people entering and leaving the mosque during prayer times to avoid congestion.
The size
The Grand Mosque comprises an area that covers 175,164 square meters. It can accommodate around 11,000 men for prayers in its main hall, and around 1,200 women in the separate area that is close to the main hall for women and the separate women prayer hall situated on the mezzanine storey.
The interior
The Grand Mosque’s interior is completely cooled; the halls, walkways, prayer areas and library are airy and spacious. The roofs are domed; with well-designed walkways and prayer halls are decorated with huge wonderful chandeliers that light up the whole area illuminating the spaces that make this Grand Mosque at night time. The interior of the Grand Mosque exudes radiance and tranquility is carefully detailed. It is beautiful, elegant but simple and comfortable.
The floors of the prayer areas are secured with lush carpets for the easy and comfort for the people to pray and there are lifts for those who need to go up to the mezzanine storey.
3 Storeys
The Grand Mosque has three storeys. There is the cellar, ground floor and mezzanine.
The cellar covers an area of up to 3,853 square meters. It involves bathrooms, a dedicated bathing (wudhu) area for men, and machines.
The ground storey covers an area around 12,117 square meters. It includes the men’s prayer hall and women’s prayer area, a dedicated bathing (wudhu) area for women along with a special area that takes into caters to the needs of women.
The mezzanine storey covers an area up to 2,594 square meters. It includes a prayer hall for women, a library and two special halls for Quran memorisation.
Parking place
The parking place covers an area around 14,877 square meters, so there is more than ample parking for the people who come to pray at the mosque or visit it. And there are 9 different parking places, including an indoor one, that can accommodate 300 vehicles.
Mosque guidelines
All guests to the mosque, including those that are coming to prayers are mentioned to follow the guidelines give below:
- Don’t make noise; put mobiles on silent mode while in the mosque.
- Honor the mosque’s sacredness and avoid improper conduct.
- Honor the holiness of the mosque by sitting in a restrained way
- Honor and regard others guests and prayer performers.
- Honor the sacredness of the mosque and prayer performers while taking photos, i.e., not lying down or using some other improper development or posture.
- Footwear must be kept in the shoe racks given outside the prayer halls.
- Food and beverages are not allowed inside the mosque; to drink water is available inside the mosque.
- It is your duty to deal with your personal belongings.
- An earlier written authorisation is required from the Mosque office in case of taking photos or making video recording for business or private purposes.
- To keep the peace and quiet in the mosque, kids under seven years old are not permitted to enter the prayer halls during Ramadan between the Isha prayer and the Qiyam (12 PM prayer) and during lecture times.
- Childrens under seven years old are just allowed to enter the women’s prayer hall on the ground floor.
- It is illegal to take photos in the women’s prayer halls.
Mosque etiquettes if you are a non-Muslim
If you are a not a Muslim then i wish to visit this Grand Mosque, entry is free but there are some mosque ways and guidelines that you must follow.
- Passage might be confined at specific times, so please get some information about visiting times.
- When you are visiting the mosque, it would be helpful if you wear clothes that cover the entire body. Women must wear an abaya and headscarf that can be given to them by a female watchman at the entrance.
- Honor the sacredness of the mosque and avoid inappropriate conduct while there.
- Don’t not visit the mosque at prayer times.
- Remove your shoes and place them on the shoe racks available.
- Try not to disturb the worshippers.
- Keep your mobile switched off when you are in the mosque premises, so don’t disturb the tranquility of the mosque.
- Tourist groups, special visits and visits for finding Islam, are to be arranged by required procedures two days before the visit and in case of cancellation, the mosque should be informed accordingly.
- Food from outside is not allowed in the mosque; to drink water is available inside the mosque..
- Take permission from the mosque office if you need to use your camera to take photos.
Area
The Grand Mosque is located in the Jubailat area in Doha on Al Mohandeseen Street. It isn’t too far from the Corniche and has been built on a large hill, so it can be seen from a far distance. It overlooks the Qatar Sports Club and the magnificent Doha skyline of West Bay.
Tel: 4425 0250
