Date: 2012-08-27

Fujairah News; Decoration and calligraphy works are afoot on Sheikh Zayed Mosque of Fujairah, one of Fujairah’s most prominent new landmark, Eng. Mohammed Saif Al Afkham, Director General of Fujairah Municipality, said yesterday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a conference organized by the civic body here, Al Afkham said; “We are working on the final stage of the mosque and the whole project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year”.

Set amid fountains and palm-dotted gardens on a large property in the heart of Fujairah city, the mosque will be roughly the size of three football playgrounds and will serve 32 thousand worshippers, making it the second largest mosque in the country, after the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, which encompasses 22,412 square meters.

The main prayer hall hold 13,500 people, and the 5,124 square meter marble courtyard, framed by 35 domes, can accommodate 12,000 worshipers. This is in addition to a basement prayer area for 2,500 women and 205 stations for ablution. The mosque’s exterior has been constructed of stone, while the building boasts an interior of marble and granite.

Worshippers will be called to prayer from six minarets rising 100 meters above 65 cascading domes.

“The mosque will also house a religious school,” Al Afkhem added. It has a very unique design resembling that of the large mosque in Turkey with is large number of domes.

The project is funded by the President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahian, conducted by the UAE Ministry of Public Works and supervised by Fujairah Municipality. Each of the seven emirates, forming the UAE federation, has its own mosque named after the late founder of the country Sheikh Zayed.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE)’ branch in Fujairah has started implementing a comprehensive plan aimed at building 30 new mosques across the emirate this year. The project will cost AED 50 million which will sponsored by Emirati philanthropists and from the Mafhas Al Qatah (Dove Nest) program. The emirate has around 300 mosques, one of which is the Al Bidyah Mosque, the oldest mosque in the UAE.