Jumeirah Mosque

Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai is one of the few mosques in the country open to all visitors, regardless of their religion. Such an opportunity appeared due to the cultural cooperation center of Sheikh Mohammed (SMCCU), which operates at the Jumeirah mosque. The main objective of the center is to assist tourists studying the culture and religion of the UAE. Thanks to the activity of the center, the Jumeirah Mosque has become one of the most popular attractions of Dubai, its image can be seen on the 500 dirham bill.



History of creation

Construction of the Jumeirah mosque began in 1975 and lasted for 4 years. The project and the construction of the temple was supported by Sheikh Rashid Ibn Saeed Al Maktoum. The creation of a mosque, which can be visited by followers of other religions, was the main idea of the sheikh and under his leadership in 1998 the Center for Cultural Understanding named after Sheikh Mohammed was organized, who began to conduct excursions for non-Muslims. Later, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi and Al Faruk Umar ibn Khattab Mosque in Dubai opened for free visits.

Architectural features of the Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai

The official opening of the new religious center was held in November 1979. According to the project, the Jumeirah Mosque is made of modern materials in the classic style of the 10th – 12th centuries. The medieval temples of the Fatimids, an Arab state ruling in Palestine, Egypt and Syria, were taken as a model.

The mosque, entirely built of white stone, is a large hall that can accommodate up to 1,300 people. The prayer hall of the Jumeirah Mosque, made in the traditional hypostyle style, is a large room with rows of columns that support the roof of the building. Opposite the central entrance to the hall is the Qiblah wall, on which Muslims locate the Ka'ba.

The architectural complex also includes two high minarets that frame the imposing central dome of the mosque. In accordance with the Islamic canon prohibiting the use of images of people and animals as decorations, the walls of the Jumeirah mosque are decorated with complex geometric patterns with elements of Arabic script in the men's hall and floral patterns in the women's hall.

When visiting a mosque, you must follow a number of mandatory rules:
do not enter the mosque in dirty clothes;

clothes should be modest and closed, it is unacceptable to come to the mosque in shorts and T-shirts, women must cover their legs and shoulders. If your outfit does not comply with the rules, staff at the entrance will offer to wear traditional clothing - abaya for women and condors for men;
it is unacceptable to use harsh perfumes and deodorants;
at the entrance to the temple, you must remove your shoes; special lockers are provided for storage;
women should cover their hair with a scarf;
do not distract people doing namaz and ablution;
You can take pictures inside the mosque, but it’s better to limit yourself to taking pictures of the interior and self, because Muslims have a negative attitude towards shooting prayers;
professional photo and video should be coordinated with representatives of the Center for Cultural Interaction;
you can not talk loudly, laugh, sing, shout, listen to music, the phone is better off or put on silent mode;
it is forbidden to pass in front of a person who is reading namaz or standing close to him;
It is forbidden to sit with legs stretched out towards the Kaaba and touch the holy books.