Getting Papped At Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat 

To mark the 30th year of his reign, the ruler of Oman, Sultan Qaboos, ran a competition to design a mosque as his gift to the Omani people which he then named after himself. The end result is the Grand Mosque in the capital city, Muscat.

During our stay in Oman we went to explore the spectacular structure. It was just a ten-minute cab drive away from our hotel, The Chedi. As we walked up to the large mosque, its manicured grounds had numerous water features and beautiful gardens evoking a peaceful place of worship.

The Grand Mosque Muscat

Built in 2001, the Grand Mosque sits in a walled compound with a minaret at each corner and a fifth, large minaret in the middle.

The Grand Mosque, Muscat

Before we even entered the mosque, our daughter (who was two years old at the time) was accosted by a group of Indonesians wanting to get a picture…we duly complied and she was papped like a celebrity! She was quite a hit!

The Grand Mosque, Oman

Mrs T getting papped at The Grand Mosque, Oman

The mosque can take up to 20,000 worshippers and, after seeing the main prayer hall, I could understand why. The huge, spacious area is decorated with intricate, Islamic decor.

The Grand Mosque, Muscat

While a large Swarovski crystal chandelier hangs in the middle of hall. At 14m tall it is quite a statement and is apparently the second biggest in the world.

Chandelier in the main prayer room at the Grand Mosque, Muscat Chandelier in the main prayer room at the Grand Mosque, Muscat

The other main feature in the hall is a huge Persian carpet measuring 70m by 60m. It’s the second-largest hand-loomed Iranian carpet in the world and it took 600 women four years to weave.

The Grand Mosque, Muscat

The Grand Mosque, Muscat

It is a shame these women are unlikely to have the privilege of walking and viewing the carpet themselves. The grand, main hall is for men only. The woman’s prayer room is far smaller and more subdued. It holds just 750 woman. It fact, it was so unremarkable, I only took one (slightly fuzzy) photograph of the rather dark room.
The women's hall in the Grand Mosque, Muscat

Long, opulent outdoor corridors connect the prayer rooms and provide a sanctuary from the sweltering midday heat…

The Grand Mosque, Muscat

And also provide a cool place to pose.

The Grand Mosque, Oman

The Grand Mosque, Muscat

You need to take your shoes off when going into the main prayer rooms and visitors must dress modestly – covering arms and legs and avoid tight clothing (I was told leggings were a no-go when I visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul).

Women and girls (aged seven and above) must cover their hair. I left my scarf at the hotel but our cab driver came to the rescue and produced one for me to wear. Otherwise, they can be hired from the café and the gift shop for a small fee.

The Grand Mosque, Muscat

Tours of the mosque are also available. When we visited, there were a lot of helpful people on hand to answer our questions. In the women-only private musalla, there were two lovely ladies who spoke excellent English and answered any questions I had about the building and we also had a quick exchange about Islam in general. They were keen to express their frustration at the negativity which can surround the religion as a result of extremist groups using the religion to fight their causes.

The Grand Mosque, Muscat

In the men’s prayer hall, my husband had a long chat with a friendly gentleman who spoke at length about the building. I was left attempting to prevent Mrs T from running under the barriers onto the carpet, inbetween her getting papped…this time by a group visiting from India. If you are going with children, you do need to be keep them close to you when in this main room of worship.

The mosque is a magnificent structure and definitely worth a visit when in Muscat. We spent around 45 minutes at the Grand Mosque, Muscat – so you don’t need a lot of time to take in its impressive beauty.

If you liked this article – you can download – along with other city guides as an article app at GPSmyCity.

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Visiting the Grand Mosque, Muscat, Oman with children

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Wander Mum

I've always loved to travel so when my two daughters came along, I didn't stop. Travelling as a family can have its ups and downs but I love showing my children the world and helping others navigate travelling with children in tow.

48 Comments
  1. I’ve heard such good things about Oman, how it’s more authentic than Dubai and very beautiful, I’d love to visit. This place seems to be full of superlatives: biggest crystal, biggest carpet (well almost in both cases), it must be amazing to see. Imagine 600 women working on one carpet! Thanks for hosting #citytripping
    Phoebe @ Lou Messugo recently posted…Sunday Photo – 21 February 2016My Profile

  2. That sounds like an amazing experience Elizabeth. The mosque is stunning. In the end how did you feel about your daughter being papped? We have had similar experiences with our twins in the Middle East and Asia and at first we found it quite funny but after a while the kids get a bit overwhelmed. It’s made me think about some of the photos I took of children as a much younger traveller with a bit of regret actually.
    Katy recently posted…How to enjoy London in winterMy Profile

    1. She generally doesn’t mind it, especially if it is with us but, understandably, finds it a bit weird when people sneakily try to take a picture with her and their children…well, it is weird. She just doesn’t look at the camera or hides behind us if she doesn’t want to get papped and they take the hint.

  3. The prayer hall is exquisite. And the Persian carpet – oh my goodness, the work involved in creating it!
    No wonder your little girl was such a celebrity – she really is gorgeous.
    #citytripping

  4. The mosque looks awesome – I have heard great things about Oman as a whole and must visit one day. Mosques generally and Islamic art and architecture as a whole are really beautiful – the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus remains just about my favourite building I have ever seen.

  5. This is such a stunning building – the white of the marble and the intricate detail are so beautiful. And I can easily imagine why Mrs T kept getting papped, those incredible blonde curls and blue eyes. I am intrigued to see what attention my daughter gets when we head east. #citytripping
    Cathy (MummyTravels) recently posted…City Tripping linky #15My Profile

    1. Thanks Ruth…so kind! I think the royal family footed the bill…would have been a bit cheeky otherwise! Can’t find the cost – but can imagine it’s hefty!

  6. It looks like such a beautiful place, but I am sad that the women get the dark room rather than the opportunity to all pray together in a room fit for men and women who are equal.

  7. Wow, these pictures are quite impressive! The mosque really sounds and looks like worth a visit, thanks for sharing your experience with us! Visiting from #citytripping

  8. What a beautiful place! I remember, we visited the main mosque in Damask, Syria, when that place was still peaceful. We were all given some sort of a skirt to cover our legs and scarfs.
    People also get excited about blond babies in China – it’s supposed to be lucky to touch them 🙂

    1. Is it?! How interesting! I can’t imagine the stir she’s cause if we went there. You are very lucky to have got to Syria when it was peaceful…makes me so sad to see what has become of the country .

  9. Love having a good poke around religious buildings – always so beautiful, or at least interesting. What a fabulous carpet!

    My daughter is always getting papped by tourists. London, Moscow, doesn’t seem to matter. Mainly the problem is that my son, who is less blue eyed/ blond haired, gets mildly offended they are less interested in him. I keep threateninh to charge a fiver per photo, but I do think f it as swings and roundabouts really and she doesn’t seem to mind.
    Mama Herself recently posted…The Historical and Ethnographic Theatre, MoscowMy Profile

  10. Wow – what a building, so opulent. It is good that non-Muslims are allowed in but at the same time I find it sad that non-Muslims are not allowed in other Mosques and that men and women have separate and different prayer rooms. But I respect their cultural choice, even if I don’t understand it.
    Rosie @Eco-Gites of Lenault recently posted…Animal Tales – 58My Profile

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