This mosque is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest mosque in the country, with a capacity of over 40,100 worshippers. It is a key place of worship for the daily Islamic prayers. There is a smaller replica of this mosque in the city of Surakarta, located on the island of Java in Indonesia.

The project to build the Grand Mosque was launched by the UAE’s founder and first president, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It was constructed between 1994 and 2007. The complex covers an area of around 12 hectares. The axis of the building is rotated about 12º south of true west, thereby aligning it in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The mosque consists of 82 domes, more than a 1000 columns and 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers. The main prayer hall contains the largest hand-knotted carpet. The architect of the mosque, Yusef Abdelki took his inspiration from various sources including the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. The construction of the mosque took place under the guidance and supervision of Sheikh Zayed. When he died in 2004, he was buried in the courtyard of the mosque.