Sultan Qaboos Mosque, the largest masjid in Salalah, is located in Salalah City Center area. It’s a huge masjid and a very nice architectural composition. This is not only the largest one in Salalah, but it is also the biggest one outside of Muscat and Nizwa – the other two popular cities in Oman.
Further Reading:
- List of Tourist Attractions in Salalah, Oman
- Best places to Stay in Salalah
- A Post About Islam and Muslims
Contents
Sultan Qaboos Mosque from Outside
The mosque is a beautiful architecture, displaying Islamic structure. Sultan Qaboos Masjid is one of the two icon and landmark of the city. The other one is the Clock Tower. The mosque is located in 23rd July Street, in Salalah City Center Area.
From the outside, the two domes and two tall minarets of the mosque are visible. A small lawn and parking area inside the fencing surrounds the mosque building.
At the main entrance, Jama Sultan Qaboos is written in Arabic. Beautiful chandeliers hung at the exterior as well.
Inside Salalah’s Sultan Qaboos Mosque
Sultan Qaboos Mosque has 2 prayer halls. The first and the largest one is for male praying. The other one is for female worshippers. Islam doesn’t allow free mingling of male and female and for this purpose, there are separate praying halls.
In addition to these, there is a compound as well, that leads to the male prayer hall. This area is huge too, and is full with worshippers on Friday.
The huge wooden doors, with Arabic designs, are at the entrance of the main hall.
The male hall is the largest one. The prayer hall is wonderfully decorated with chandeliers, green carpet and wall patterns and many air conditioners are installed.
The worship is done in the direction of Qibla, which is the Holy Kaaba located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The construction of Kaaba was carried out by Prophet Abrahim (Prophet Ibrahim), along with his eldest son Prophet Ismael.
The orange horizontal lines on the green carpet, is an indicator to stand straight at the time of worship. This is called Saaf. Muslims stands together in lines, touching shoulders together when praying in congregation.
If you notice, there is a place extending out from the main wall at the center of the front wall. Thats where Imam (the Prayer leader) stands when leading the prayers. There’s a small window on the right side of this location, that’s called Minbar. It is from here the Imam gives the Khudba (Sermon) on the day of Friday. There are 2 sermons prior to Friday congregational prayer, in Arabic.
The chandelier under the largest dome is worth noticing.
Ablution Areas
The mosque has many places to do wadu (ablution). This is washing of hands, face, and feet in particular order and way, before praying. In addition to the indoor places for ablution, some of these are located outside as well in beautiful canopies. These are located on the lawn of the mosque.
Non-Muslims can Visit Sultan Qaboos Mosque
Non-Muslims (Christians, Jews, Hindus, and other religions) can also visit the mosque, but not at the time of prayer. There are basically 5 prayers every day. Firstly, its Fajr Prayer which is offered at the time of Dawn. Secondly, the prayer is at noon and known as Zuhr prayer. Thirdly, its Asr prayer, which is offered in the evening. Fourthly, Mughrib prayer is offered at sunset. Lastly, Isha prayer is offered at night.
The following are important things to note for non Muslim visitor to Sultan Qaboos Mosque:
- From Saturday to Thursday, the mosque is open to non-Muslim visitors in the morning.
- The visiting time is from 8 am to 11 am in the morning.
- On Friday, the mosque is not open for visitors due to the larger congregation.
- There is a dress code for entrance in the mosque. Both men and women should wear decent clothing. As this is a religious place, the dressing should be respectful. As a rule, men must wear shirts that has sleeves and shorts are not permitted. A full length trouser is highly recommended.
- Ladies must cover their full body. It means that they must wear a head scarf to cover their hairs, wear a shirt with sleeve from shoulder to wrist, and a trouser till heals.
- Children under 7 years are not allowed inside the mosque.
- Footware is not permitted inside. Shelves are available at the entrance for putting the foot ware.
Holy Quran Inside the Mosque
Inside, the Holy Book of Muslims, Al Quran Al Karim, is placed at various places. Muslims read it before and after the 5 daily prayers or any time of the day and night.
The Holy Quran is the book of Muslims. It is basically the words of Allah and He himself mentioned it as his words in the book. Interestingly, the book mentioned Prophet Abrahim, Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus and others sent before Prophet Mohammed. Download an English Version of the Quran
Friday Prayer at Sultan Qaboos Mosque Salalah
The largest congregation is at the weekly Friday prayer at this mosque. The mosque is named after the sultan of Oman, sultan Qaboos.
If you are offering Friday prayer, following are the tips:
- As a lot of people will be offering Friday Prayer in this mosque. Parking is limited. Try to come earlier, so that you can find a good parking spot.
- The prayer starting time is between 12:15 pm to 12:45 pm depending on the season.
- Chairs are available for the elderly people and those who want chair for offering prayer.
- Quran copies are available inside, so you can recite Surah Kahf on the day of Friday.
Night Time Illumination
Sultan Qaboos Mosque is beautifully lit in night. The mosque looks beautiful at night as well. This time, it can be a photo stop as the mosque is closed after Isha Prayer.
Recommended Place To Stay In Salalah
For experiencing great Salalah nightlife, the best place to stay in Dhofar is in the city of Salalah. There are Over 100 Hotels and Apartments on Booking.com for Salalah, which you can consider for your comfortable and memorable stay.
Booking.comBelow are our recommendations:
Luxury: Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara
There couldn’t be any better choice of staying in Salalah other than Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara. This is the finest and premium resort in the city with private pool villas, which are not available in other resorts.
The location of Anantara is excellent. It is next to the famous tourist location of Al Baleed Archeological Site, Frankincense Land Museum and is on the white sand beach of the Arabian Sea.
Indeed, it is a great place to have a fun filled family vacation. Check prices, reviews, and availability here
Mid Range: Fanar Hotel and Residences
Although Fanar Hotel and Residences is a 5 star resort, its price is almost equal to that of a 3 star hotel in the center of the city. It is located at Hawana Salalah Marina, and is by far the largest resort in Salalah.
The only drawback is that this hotel a little away from the city. But hotel will arrange the airport transfers, so there is nothing to worry about. Also if you have rent a car, or are planning to book guided tours by Beautiful Salalah then it’s an ideal pick. Check prices, reviews, and availability here
Budget: Star House Elite
There are many apartments by the name of Star House, but this one is preferred as it is a nice apartment in the center of the city. There are many restaurants, including Indian cuisine and local food, at walking distance. It’s right opposite of the largest mosque in Salalah – Sultan Qaboos Mosque.
The most unique feature of this apartment is that its on the bus route of Mwasalat public transport and you can arrive here from airport using the bus. Also Star House Elite is at walking distance from the bus station of Mwasalat, GTC, GLT, and other intercity buses. Check prices, reviews, and availability here
The ultimate guide for Salalah Places to Visit ends here. If there is any place that is missed, you can write in comment. If you want to visit any of these places, write to us and we can arrange the sightseeing torus for solo, family, or group.
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