Sultan Qaboos Grand Masjid Suhar — Attraction in Al Batinah North Governorate

The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar (جامع السلطان قابوس في صحار) is a grand royal mosque in Sohar in Al Batinah region of Oman, that was inaugurated in October 2016. Like all new royal mosques, the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is open for non-Muslims to visit free of charge from 8am to 11am Saturday to Thursday. If you are visiting Sohar, this is the most magnificent architectural attraction to see.

The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is very different from other royal mosques and is built in the style of Persian and central Asian Islamic architecture with a touch of Omani architecture. The massive mosque has a large garden, three main entrances, four minarets, and a large blue main dome. The mosque also uniquely integrates wood in its design in a way not common among Omani royal mosques.

The interior of the mosque is intricate with subtle colours. The Mihrab (المحراب, a semi-circular niche in the wall pointing towards the prayer director, or qibla القبلة) is not massive, but it is beautifully tiled in a turquoise and gold palette. The carpet has a horizontally-lined pattern which makes it less artistic than the unlined carpet of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, but definitely more practical. The central chandelier is magnificent, especially when lit. The main prayer hall accommodates up to 4600 worshipers. There is also a women prayer hall, which I haven’t seen, that accommodates up to 470 worshipers. The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is also meant to function as a cultural and social hub, and it has a public library, a couple of classrooms for Islamic studies, a multi-purpose hall for hosting official and cultural events, and a majlis for hosting social events.

Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is open to non-Muslims between 8am and 11am from Saturday to Wednesday. Just like the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, visitors of the mosque must dress conservatively, women cannot show their arms, hair, or legs inside the mosque. These hours permit non-Muslims to enter the prayer halls, all other parts of the mosque may be visited by both Muslims and non-Muslims at any times. For example, it is permitted for non-Muslims to walk around the garden at any time of the day and it is permitted for non-Muslims to visit the library during all its opening hours.

How to get to Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is right in the heart of Sohar, on the highway near Al Suwaihra roundabout (the date palm trees roundabout) directly opposite HM’s Bahjat Al Anthar Palace (قصر بهجة الأنظار). It is approximately a 200 kms drive...

The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar (جامع السلطان قابوس في صحار) is a grand royal mosque in Sohar in Al Batinah region of Oman, that was inaugurated in October 2016. Like all new royal mosques, the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is open for non-Muslims to visit free of charge from 8am to 11am Saturday to Thursday. If you are visiting Sohar, this is the most magnificent architectural attraction to see.

The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is very different from other royal mosques and is built in the style of Persian and central Asian Islamic architecture with a touch of Omani architecture. The massive mosque has a large garden, three main entrances, four minarets, and a large blue main dome. The mosque also uniquely integrates wood in its design in a way not common among Omani royal mosques.

The interior of the mosque is intricate with subtle colours. The Mihrab (المحراب, a semi-circular niche in the wall pointing towards the prayer director, or qibla القبلة) is not massive, but it is beautifully tiled in a turquoise and gold palette. The carpet has a horizontally-lined pattern which makes it less artistic than the unlined carpet of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, but definitely more practical. The central chandelier is magnificent, especially when lit. The main prayer hall accommodates up to 4600 worshipers. There is also a women prayer hall, which I haven’t seen, that accommodates up to 470 worshipers. The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is also meant to function as a cultural and social hub, and it has a public library, a couple of classrooms for Islamic studies, a multi-purpose hall for hosting official and cultural events, and a majlis for hosting social events.

Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is open to non-Muslims between 8am and 11am from Saturday to Wednesday. Just like the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, visitors of the mosque must dress conservatively, women cannot show their arms, hair, or legs inside the mosque. These hours permit non-Muslims to enter the prayer halls, all other parts of the mosque may be visited by both Muslims and non-Muslims at any times. For example, it is permitted for non-Muslims to walk around the garden at any time of the day and it is permitted for non-Muslims to visit the library during all its...

The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is a grand royal mosque in Sohar in Al Batinah region of Oman, that was inaugurated in October 2016. Like all new royal mosques, the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is open for non-Muslims to visit free of charge from 8am to 11am Saturday to Thursday. If you are visiting Sohar, this is the most magnificent architectural attraction to see. The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is very different from other royal mosques and is built in the style of Persian and central Asian Islamic architecture with a touch of Omani architecture. The massive mosque has a large garden, three main entrances, four minarets, and a large blue main dome. The mosque also uniquely integrates wood in its design in a way not common among Omani royal mosques. The interior of the mosque is intricate with subtle colours. The Mihrab ( semi-circular niche in the wall pointing towards the prayer director, or qibla القبلة) is not massive, but it is beautifully tiled in a turquoise and gold palette. The carpet has a horizontally-lined pattern which makes it less artistic than the unlined carpet of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, but definitely more practical. The central chandelier is magnificent, especially when lit. The main prayer hall accommodates up to 4600 worshipers. There is also a women prayer hall, which I haven’t seen, that accommodates up to 470 worshipers. The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is also meant to function as a cultural and social hub, and it has a public library, a couple of classrooms for Islamic studies, a multi-purpose hall for hosting official and cultural events, and a majlis for hosting social events. Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar is open to non-Muslims between 8am and 11am from Saturday to Wednesday. Just like the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, visitors of the mosque must dress conservatively, women cannot show their arms, hair, or legs inside the mosque. These hours permit non-Muslims to enter the prayer halls, all other parts of the mosque may be visited by both Muslims and non-Muslims at any times. For example, it is permitted for non-Muslims to walk around the garden at any time of the day and it is permitted for non-Muslims to visit the library during all its...