Description of the attraction
The Al-Fateh Mosque is one of the greatest Islamic shrines in the world, with an area of 6,500 square meters, with a capacity of up to 7,000 people. It was built at the end of the reign of Sheikh Isa ibn Salman Al-Khalifa in 1987 and was named after Ahmad Al Fateh, the founder of Bahrain. In 2006, the Al-Fateh Mosque became one of the divisions of the Bahrain National Library and is also known as the Center of Islam of the same name.
The Great Mosque of Al-Fateh is an iconic place in Bahrain. It is located off the King Faisal Central Highway in Juffair, the inner city district of the country's capital, Manama. The grandiose dome, erected over the halls of the mosque, is completely made of durable fiberglass, its weight is more than 60 tons, it is the largest roof in the modern world made of such material. For the floors, marble brought from Italy was used, the chandelier was delivered from Austria. The doors are made in India from teak wood. All walls of the building are decorated with traditional calligraphy stylized as ancient Kufi script.
The library of the Islamic Center of Ahmad Al-Fateh has about 7,000 books, some of which are 100 or more years old. The collection includes copies of the books of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and sayings from the books of hadiths, the general Arab encyclopedia, the encyclopedias of Islamic jurisprudence, the complete collections of the Al-Azhar magazines that were published over a hundred years ago, as well as many other periodicals and magazines.
The Cathedral Mosque is one of the most visited, popular tourist attractions in Bahrain. It is open from 9 am to 4 pm, guided tours in different languages, including English, French, Filipino, Russian, are available for those who wish, but you need to book tours in advance. The mosque is closed to visitors and tourists on Fridays.
