When it comes to mosques in Qatar, none can beat the grandeur and magnificence of the Imam Abdul Wahhab Mosque nestled in a prominent neighbourhood of Doha and visible from a distance. The mosque was opened to the public in 2011 by the Father Amir His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani (he was the Amir at the time) and is also well known as the Qatar State Grand Mosque. This Grand Mosque has a contemporary design with a traditional Qatari twist to its simple, yet elegant façade and its stunningly beautiful interior design and décor.

Did you know...

...the original Grand Mosque was built by the founder of Qatar Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, who had the mosque constructed in memory of his father who died in Sheikh Jassim’s absence when he was away for a military campaign in the Zubara area of the country. He was told of his father’s death when he returned from Zubara in 1878.

The Grand Mosque was refurbished to give it the look and feel that it has today. The refurbishment began on 16 December 2006 and the total cost 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 well-known religious Muslim leader, reformer, theologian and pioneer during the 18^th century who taught people to follow only the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah (teaching and ways of Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him). He belonged to the Najd area situated in the Central region of Saudi Arabia.

The façade

The façade of the Grand Mosque is made up of sandstone and has preserved traditional features of Qatar’s rich heritage and its prolific history. The mosque is not very high and the smaller domes on the building, imitate the building constraints that Qatar faced when it was a not so wealthy country.

At night time, the mosque is lit up with strategically placed lighting that adds to the overall 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 larger sized domes protect the central hall.

The mosque has 20 entrances, of which three are main doors and 17 are side entrances. These entrances facilitate the large numbers of people entering and leaving the mosque during prayer times to avoid congestion.

There is a large courtyard area in the mosque as well.

The size

The Grand Mosque is made up of an area that covers 175,164 square metres. It can accommodate approximately 11,000 men for prayers in its central hall, and approximately 1,200 women in the separate special area that is adjacent to the central hall for women and the separate women's prayer hall located on the mezzanine storey.

The interior

The Grand Mosque’s interior is fully air-conditioned; the halls, walkways, prayers areas and library are airy and spacious. The ceilings are domed; the well-designed walkways and prayer halls are decorated with large beautiful chandeliers that light up the entire area illuminating the spaces that make up this Grand Mosque in the evenings. The interior of the Grand Mosque exudes radiance and tranquility and is painstakingly detailed. It is beautiful, elegant and yet simple and comfortable.

The floors of the prayer areas are covered with lush carpets for the ease and comfort for those who come to pray and there are lifts for those who need them to go up to the mezzanine storey.

3 – storeys

The Grand Mosque is made up of three storeys. There is the basement, ground floor and mezzanine.

The basement covers an area of approximately 3,853 square metres. It comprises of restrooms, a dedicated ablution (wudhu) area for men, and machines.

The ground storey covers an area of 12,117 square metres. It comprises of the men’s prayer hall, women’s prayer area, a dedicated ablution (wudhu) area for women along with a special area that caters to other needs of women.

The mezzanine storey covers an area of 2,594 square metres. It comprises of a prayer hall for women, a library and two special halls for Quran memorisation (one for men and the other for women).

Parking spaces

The parking area covers an area of 14,877 square metres so there is more than ample parking for those who come to pray in the mosque or visit it. In fact, there are 9 different parking spaces, including an indoor one, that can accommodate 300 cars each.

Mosque guidelines

All visitors to the mosque, including those that are coming to perform prayers are requested to follow the guidelines below:

• Do not make noise; put mobiles on silent mode while in the mosque.
• Honour the mosque’s sacredness and avoid improper conduct.
• Honour the sacredness of the mosque by sitting in a disciplined manner
• Honour and respect other visitors and prayer performers.
• Honour the sacredness of the mosque and prayer performers while taking photographs, i.e., no lying down or using any other improper movement or posture.
• Footwear must be kept in the shoe racks provided outside the prayer halls.
• Food and beverages are not allowed inside the mosque; water to drink is available inside the mosque.
• It is your responsibility to take care of your personal belongings.
• A prior written authorisation is required from the Mosque office in case of taking photographs or making video recording for commercial or private purposes.
• To keep the tranquility and serenity of the mosque, children less than seven years of age are not allowed to enter the prayer halls during Ramadan between the Isha prayer and the Qiyam (midnight prayer) and during lecture times.
• Children less than seven years of age are only permitted to enter the women’s prayer hall on the ground storey.
• It is strictly forbidden to take photographs in the women’s prayer halls.

Mosque etiquettes if you are a non-Muslim

If you are a non-Muslim and wish to visit this Grand Mosque, entry is free, but there are some mosque etiquettes and guidelines that must be followed.

• Entry may be restricted at certain times, so please ask the mosque authorities about visiting times.
• When visiting the mosque, please wear modest clothes (men and women) that cover the whole body. Women must wear an abaya and headscarf that can be provided to them by a female guard at the entrance.
• Honour the sacredness of the mosque and avoid improper conduct while there.
• Try not to visit the mosque at prayer times.
• Take off your shoes and place them on the shoe racks available.
• Don’t disturb the worshippers.
• Keep your mobile switched off when in the mosque premises, so as not to disturb the tranquility of the mosque.
• Tourist groups, special visits and visits for discovering Islam, are to be planned according to required procedures two days before the visit, and in case of cancellation, the mosque should be notified accordingly.
• Food and beverages from outside are not allowed in the mosque; water to drink is available inside the mosque..
• Do take permission from the mosque office if you want to use your camera to take photographs.
  

Location

The Grand Mosque is situated in the Jubailat area in Doha on Al Mohandiseen Street. It is not too far from the Corniche and has been built on a large hill so it can be seen from afar. It overlooks the Qatar Sports Club and the magnificent Doha skyline of West Bay.

Tel: 4425 0250

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Nabeela

Content Writer

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