Grand Mosque: An eye-catching architectural landmark in Kuwait

KUWAIT: The Grand Mosque, situated in the heart of the Kuwaiti capital, is a distinguished Islamic edifice with diverse ornamentations and artistic shapes, opposite the sea panorama. Skilled architects joined hands to build the large mosque in response to an order by the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Construction started in 1979, and the mosque was inaugurated in 1986. It is one of the largest mosques in Kuwait, occupying a 45,000-square-meter land plot opposite the Seif Palace.

It includes 20,000 uncovered spaces with water canals and green and tree-shaded patches. It can accommodate 70,000 people. The mosque includes three prayer halls: the main hall, the daily one, and the women’s section, in addition to the Amiri Hall, said Ali Shedad, the mosque director, in an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). A huge dome is in the center of the 10,000 people’s capacity. It is 43 meters above the ground. There is a dome in its center, adorned with Allah’s Husna names in Kufi calligraphy and blended with Quranic verses spanning 80 meters.

The large dome is surrounded by Allah’s Husna names. It is also surrounded by four small domes, decorated with engravings made from Moroccan gypsum, and four dangling chandeliers. Light seeps into the inner part of the mosque through 144 windows, in addition to the light emitted by the four large chandeliers, each of which contains 102 bulbs, in addition to the wall chandeliers. The large dome is surrounded by four 22-meter-high columns covered with Italian marble.

In the lower section, there are wooden oriel ventilation windows. The main prayer section includes several mihrabs (prayer niches) covered with Moroccan zellij (mosaic tilework) and Islamic engravings topped with Quranic verses. The mosque’s 22 doors are made from Indian saaj wood and decorated with Quranic verses.

The women’s prayer section, with surrounding mashrabiyas, is located above the main one. It can accommodate some 1,000 worshippers. The daily prayer hall accommodates 500 individuals. The minaret is surrounded by four 72-m-high columns. The Amiri Hall, adjacent to the main prayer place, was built two years after completing the mosque’s construction. The Amir receives well-wishers on religious occasions in this section. — KUNA