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The Grand Mosque was
only rebuilt in 1998 and boasts the city’s tallest minaret,
at 70m (231ft). Located on the Bur Dubai side of the creek, near
the Ruler’s Court, the Grand Mosque consists of nine large
domes and 45 smaller ones. This huge religious edifice can house
up to 1200 worshippers.
It is actually a recreation of the original
Grand Mosque, constructed in 1900. Traditional Persian details abound,
such as domes, an inspiring sky-blue mosaic, sand-hued facades,
handmade stained glass, and wooden shutters. The Grand Mosque is
also home to Dubai's tallest minaret, where the muezzin, or crier,
calls the people to prayer. Non-Muslims are not permitted inside
the mosque.
The Arabic word for mosque is `masjid', i.e. place of prostration.
The holy day of the Islamic week is Friday, `yaum al jum'a', on
which day all adult Muslim men are commanded to go to the mosque
for prayer (women can perform their prayers at home). The mosque
where Muslims gather especially for the Friday prayer is the `masjid
jum'a', the Grand Mosque.
Inside Architecture of Grand Mosque:
- Qibla wall, the wall, which faces Mecca, as this is the
direction (qibla), which a Muslim has to face while he is praying.
- Mihrab, prayer niche in the center of the qibla wall indicating
the exact praying direction. It is also the `holiest' place in the
mosque.
- Minbar, a pulpit/platform to the right of the mihrab from
where the `imam', the one who leads the prayer, delivers the `khutba',
the Friday sermon, which can deal with religious, social and political
subjccts.
- In Islam it is forbidden to create any pictures of living
beings (except plants), which could be worshipped. Accordingly,
it is very rare to find pictures in mosques at all. Instead, the
interior is usually decorated with rich ornamental patterns and
Arabic calligraphy.
Before entering the mosque for prayer, the ritual cleansing (wudu')
has to be performed. It starts with washing the right and left hand
(3x), then the mouth (3x), the nose (3x), the face (3x), the right
and left arm (3x), the head, the ears, and finally the right and
left foot (3x). .
Boasting the city's tallest minaret at 230 feet (70m), the Grand
Mosque is a notable landmark with its multi-domed style and impressive
size. It is an important place of worship and can accommodate up
to 1,200 worshippers inside. Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter
the Mosque.
It is a beautiful example of restoration
work and was built in the 1990s in the style of the Grand Mosque,
which dated from 1900 but was demolished to make way for another
mosque in 1960.
Address: Al Mussalla
Road
Technical Data :
Height (struct.) 70 m 230 ft |
