Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque Muscat Oman
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman: A First Look — With Photographs

amed after Qaboos bin Said Al Said — who is the current Sultan of Oman — the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque currently serves as the main mosque in Muscat, which is the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman.

Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

Located just south of Sultan Qaboos Street — which is a limited-access highway — it is very easy to find. If you are arriving from Seeb International Airport, it is only a drive of approximately 20 kilometers east. Take the off ramp of the first exit after you pass the mosque and head back towards it.

Photographs ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
Photographs ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

I drove to the mosque in a rented car, which to me was the easiest way to get around Muscat and Oman. The parking lot was virtually empty. It was a warm but clear morning; and the sun was rising in the horizon. Despite the traffic on Sultan Quaboos Street and the chirping of the birds, it was a very peaceful morning at the mosque.

Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

Polished marble floors reflected the sky as workers were preparing for the mosque to welcome its guests for the day; but their flawlessness appeared to be threatened by the birds flying overhead.

Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

The entrance to the mosque was not open as of yet; but I was free to walk around the expansive grounds outside of the mosque to examine its architecture.

Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

The landscaping of the grounds surrounding the mosque were manicured to near perfection, offsetting the arched stone block walls surrounding the mosque.

Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

I could tell that the mosque was not in existence for very long: construction of the mosque was completed in 2001; and its inauguration occurred on May 4, 2001.

Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

The mosque itself is enormous, as it can accommodate a combined total capacity of approximately 20,000 worshippers.

Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

At precisely 8:00 in the morning, the entrance was open. Anyone — Muslim or not — is welcome to visit the mosque through 11:00 in the morning every day from Saturday through Thursday.

Because I have taken so many photographs of this mosque, I intend to post them in future reports in a series of articles. This article focused on photographs of the exterior of the mosque prior to its opening hour of 8:00 in the morning.

All photographs ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

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