Mosques or Masjids have been the centre of civilizations throughout the history of Islam. They were regarded as the heartbeat of the town where most activities happen during the glorious era of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Nowadays, except for certain mosques, it is more accepted as a place of worship for Muslims where prayers and other religious undertakings happen.
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However, the importance of mosques is never a doubt. Many are built as a show of Islam’s legacy and glory through its design and architecture. Domes, minarets and prayer halls are some of the more prominent similarities in many mosques around the world but depending on the location, each will have its own unique identity. Below are 15 outstanding mosques to be visited around the world.
1. Sheikh-Lotfollah Mosque, Iran
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Known as the ‘mosque of women’ for having a tunnel that was only used by women in the past, the tunnel connected the mosque to the Ali Ghapu palace and enabled women of the court to move in and out of the mosque without being observed. Besides its signature blue and turquoise tiles of Esfahan, another excellent feature of the mosque is the dome exterior is covered with cream tiles that change colours throughout the day from cream to pink.
2. Nusrat Djahan Mosque, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Located in the outskirts of Copenhagen, this was the first mosque built in Denmark. It was actually financed solely by the female members of the Ahmadi Muslims community, perhaps motivated by the country’s drive for gender equality and women empowerment. The Prime Minister of Denmark had a hand in ensuring the completion of the mosque when he over-ruled the municipality’s decision to revoke its initial permission granted to construct the mosque. The construction gained widespread media and was completed in 1967.
3. Shah Faisal Masjid, Islamabad, Pakistan
Credit: By Alighazanfarz (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Completed in 1986, the Shah Faisal Masjid is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia. It was also once the largest mosque in the world from 1986-1993 before being overtook by expansions and constructions of mosques elsewhere and is currently the fourth largest mosque in the world. Designed and shaped based on a desert Bedouin’s tent, naturally it functions as Pakistan’s national mosque with is modern Islamic architecture at the forefront.
P.S. We’ve also featured the Shah Faisal Masjid on our Instagram page where we’re covering a mosque a day for Ramadan, to share the amazing mosques around the world and interesting facts about them!
, the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan looks like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie, don't you think? Nestled at the foot of the Margalla Hills, it's situated at the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. The main prayer hall alone is said to be able to hold around a whopping 10,000 people! Word has it that the CIA actually inspected the minarets to make sure that they weren't missiles in disguise 
The mosque itself is like a whole mini-village with its own library, museum, lecture hall, café, and it even used to house a University! There's also a Women’s gallery which is rare for a mosque in Pakistan, as most women there pray at home instead. Have any of you visited any interesting mosques you'd like to share with us? Send us a DM and we can feature your photos! – Mikhail 
Singapore #amosqueaday #mosquesoftheworld #hhwt #havehalalwilltravel photo credits: thousand wanders4. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Brunei
Credit: By Camera Operator: PH2 JACOB JOHNSON, USN [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Located in Bandar Sri Begawan, the capital of Brunei Darussalam, it is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful mosques in South East Asia. Besides a place of worship, it is also a major historical site and a famous tourist attraction. Visitors of Brunei would not miss this structure as it dominates the skyline with one of its minarets being the tallest building in Bandar Sri Begawan. Apparently the sultan ordered the top storey of a nearby building removed, in order for it not to exceed the minaret’s height. It also features a ceremonial stone boat in the lagoon, which is based on a 16th-century royal barge.
5. Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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An impressive structure, visible from both bridges that join Abu Dhabi Island to the mainland, this mosque features beautiful gardens and serves as a brilliant landmark to the city. It is also the resting place of its namesake, Sheikh Zayed – the first president of UAE. Featuring 82 domes, over 1000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers, the world’s largest hand knotted carpet and able to accommodate 41 000 worshippers, it is one of the few mosques in the region that is also open to non-Muslims.
6. Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco
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This marvellous architecture was built to commemorate the former king’s 60th birthday. Along with its 210m minaret, the mosque rises above the ocean in its full galore of being the world’s third largest mosque. It features heated flooring, a retractable roof, a section of glass flooring and also a laser light atop its minaret, pointing to Mecca every single night. It started when King Hassan II stated his wish for the city to “be endowed with a large, fine building of which it can be proud until the end of time” on his birthday, owing to the fact that Casablanca lacks any historical monument of sorts. Thirteen years later, he inaugurated the Hassan II Mosque which was built on a rocky outcrop of reclaimed land.
7. Jama Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, India
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Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India. Built by the Emperor Shah Jahan in the 16th century, it was part of the World Heritage Site, Fatehpur Sikri – the capital of the Mughal Empire for some 10 years. With its beautiful Iranian architecture, Jama Masjid also serves as one of the most visited tourist destinations in Agra. The construction of the mosque marks a transition in Islamic art in India where the blend of Persian and native elements are very much evident.
8. Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
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One of the more recognisable mosques in the world, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque features an exterior with a cascade of domes and six minarets. The blue iznik tiles which make up the interior gives this mosque its more fashionable and common name – the Blue Mosque. It is the only mosque in Turkey detailing six minarets and its courtyard is the largest among all Ottoman mosques. Tourists and locals alike normally gather at the park facing the mosque during the Maghrib call of prayer as the athan, combined with the floodlights illuminating the mosque, makes a truly beautiful and hair-raising experience.
9. Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque, Colombo, Sri Lanka
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With the blue mosque in Istanbul, there is also a red mosque in Colombo. In one of the busier commercial districts of Colombo – Pettah, stands this striking and unique structure. Each brick used in the construction of this outstanding piece of architecture is painted red or white and used in contrasting designs – hence, being commonly known as the Red Mosque. Its Indo-Saracenic architecture, featuring pomegranate-shaped domes gives this mosque its own character and remarkableness. Some also claim that this building was used as the landmark of Colombo by sailors approaching the port in the past.
10. Crystal Mosque, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
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Within the grounds of the Islamic Heritage Park in Kuala Terengganu, the Crystal Mosque was built on a man-made island. It was officially opened in February 2008 and is the country’s first ‘intelligent’ mosque with built-in IT infrastructure and WiFi connection providing visitors with internet access to read the Quran digitally. Its stunning architecture is made of steel and glass giving the mosque its crystal-like appearance. Also with the display of lights at night, the mosque truly deserves it reputation of one of the most beautiful mosques having its domes and minarets change colours to pink yellow, green and blue.
11. Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
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Built in the 15th century, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque was one of the largest and gorgeous mosques in the world. In 1897, an earthquake brought down parts of the mosque but slowly and surely, major parts of the mosque have been restored. According to some legends, the mosque was built by Bibi-Khanym, Tamerlane’s favourite wife in order to honour his return from India with the aim of it being the most grandiose creation and structure on Samarkand. It features three domed rooms, covered galleries, 8 minarets (4 restored and 4 yet to be completed), and also an open courtyard with a stone pedestal – a huge Quran stand.
12. Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
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Displaying unique black domes, made of hard wood shingles combined as tiles, this mosque is one of the better known in Indonesia due to its significance during the 2004 tsunami. Many cited divine intervention as the reason this 130 year old mosque somehow survived and withstood the disaster when neighbouring structures around the mosque were flattened by the unstoppable swell. Numerous locals took refuge here while the tsunami ravaged the landscape of Banda Aceh. Images of the incident still mesmerises even to this day. With its design based on the Mughal revival style, today it features 7 domes, 8 minarets and 32 pillars.
13. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat, Oman
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This mosque was a gift from Sultan Qaboos to his nation to mark his 30th year of reign. The main prayer hall features the world’s second largest hand-loomed Persian carpet measuring 70m x 60m which took 600 women 4 years to weave. It serves as the main mosque in Oman and is the only one open to non-Muslims. Besides the prayer halls, the mosque also features surrounding courtyards and 5 minarets that represent the Five Pillars of Islam.
14. Mashkhur Jusup Central Mosque, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan.
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Adorned with an 8-axis star, a dome and 4 minarets, this mosque can be found right in the city centre. Being true to its function as a proper mosque, it also features a school, wedding hall, library, cinema, dining room and also an Islamic culture museum among others. Built primarily form monolithic iron concrete, bricks, metal, marble and aluminium, its architecture became an inspiration and has influenced many urban designs in the country. Certainly its centre piece is unique and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
15. Masjid Al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
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Last but not least is the mosque all Muslims would know at heart and love to be at. The holiest place in Islam features the most important structure in Islam – the Kaaba which serves as the Qiblah at its heart. This mosque is where all Muslims face when we pray. It is also subject to ever present renovations and changes to accommodate Muslims from around the world where certain pillars of the Hajj is performed. It is also the largest mosque in the world and is able to house 900 000 worshippers at any time throughout the year. This number though, increases exponentially during the Hajj season.