An Architectural Masterpiece:
Faisal Mosque
The Faisal Mosque is the national mosque of Pakistan, located in the
capital city, Islamabad. It
is the fifth-largest mosque in the world, the largest mosque outside the Middle East, and the
largest within South Asia, located on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Islamabad. It is named
after the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. The mosque features a contemporary design consisting of
eight sides of concrete shell and is inspired by the design of a typical Bedouin tent. A major tourist attraction in Pakistan, the mosque is a
contemporary and influential piece of Islamic architecture.
Construction of the mosque began in 1976 after a
$28 million grant from Saudi King Faisal, whose name the mosque bears. The unconventional
design by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay was selected after an
international competition. Without a typical dome, the mosque is shaped like a Bedouin tent, surrounded by
four 260 feet (79 m) tall minarets. The design features eight-sided shell
shaped sloping roofs forming a triangular worship hall which can hold 10,000
worshippers.
Combined the structure covers an area of 33 acres
(130,000 m2; 1,400,000 sq ft), the mosque dominates the
landscape of Islamabad. It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost
end of the city and at the foot of Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of
the Himalayas.
It is located on an elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the
national park. Faisal Mosque was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993 when it was overtaken by the
mosques in Saudi Arabia. Faisal Mosque is now the sixth largest mosque in the
world in terms of capacity.
The Qibla Wall is covered with blue and white
calligraphic tiles designed by a Turkish artist Mengu Ertel. ] The interior of
the mosque uses Turkish and Pakistani inspired decorations. The mosque takes an
unusual route to its design by combining contemporary and classic Islamic
architecture. The unique design takes most of its elements from nomadic Bedouin
tent, but it still manages to keep in contact with Islamic architecture by
using Ottoman style minarets and square shape form the Kaaba.
The Faisal Mosque can accommodate about 300,000
worshippers. Each of the Mosque’s four minarets are 79 m (230 ft)
high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10×10 meters in
circumference.[13][4] The main areas have the
capacity to hold up to 74000 people in the main areas including the inner hall,
and the courtyards. The grounds around the mosque have the capacity to contain
up to 200,000 people.
Source:
1.
“King
of All Mosques – Faisal Mosque”. HOPES.
6 November 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
2.
“Faisal Mosque – Islamabad,
Pakistan”. www.sacred-destinations.com. Retrieved 17
December 2019.