Oman Day 4 - The Grand Mosque and Al Alam Palace

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat started construction in 1995 and took 5 years to complete. The mosque is made from marble and wood, cladded in sandstone.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The view of the mosque and it’s 5 minarets, each of which stands for one of the 5 pillars of Islam: There is no God but God, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Hajj.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

One of the smaller minarets.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Outside of the women’s prayer hall.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The women’s prayer hall.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Lighting and archways bordering on one of the arcades.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

One of the arcades.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Walkway on one of the arcades.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Archway outside the main prayer hall.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The main prayer hall. this room can hold 6,000 worshppers. The carpet is hand made and is the second-largest hand-woven Persian woven carpet in the world.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The Mihrab, where the Imam stands during praryers, within the main prayer hall.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The main chancelier within the main prayer hall and dome.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The main chandeleir and dome within the main prayer hall.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Hallway and chandeleirs within the main prayer hall.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Outside the main prayer hall where you can see the Mihrab to the left and dome on top.

The Al Alam, or Flag, Palace is the main palace, although not a residence, of the Sultan. It was built in 1976 along the water in Muscat.

Al Alam Palace

View of the main hall fro sea side. As indicated by the flag on top, the Sultans Standard, the Sultan is in.

Al Alam Palace

Protection from the sea for the Sultan. The white buildings once held the United States Embassy, among other functions. Today it largely holds reception halls and suites for visiting dignitaries.

Just behind the palace is a small mosque called Al-Khor Mosque. It was originally known as the Mosque of Martyrs due to the funerals of those fighting against the Portuguese in the 17th and 18th centuries. Many senior members of the royal family pray here.

Al-Khor Mosque

The main entrance to the mosque.

Al-Khor Mosque

The main prayer hall of the mosque. One of the interesting design components of the mosque is the extensive use of stained glass along the walls.