Al Fateh Grand Mosque

Al Fateh in Juffair is the largest mosque in Bahrain, holding around seven thousand people, and its dome is made of fibreglass, which at the time of building was said to be the largest fibreglass dome anywhere. Inside there is Italian marble, Austrian chandeliers and Indian teak doors, with the national library occupying part of the complex. Free guided tours run for non-Muslims outside prayer times, with robes provided.

Background

Also called the Al-Fateh Islamic Center, the mosque covers 6,500 square metres and measures 100 metres by 75 metres. Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa built it in 1987 and named it in honour of Ahmed Al Fateh. The fibreglass dome weighs 60 short tons and has an outer diameter of 24 metres. Since 2006 the complex has housed the National Library of Bahrain, and the centre's own library holds approximately 7,000 books, some 100 years old or more, among them books of Hadith, the Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence, the Global Arabic Encyclopedia and Al-Azhar journals. It opens from 9am to 4pm, with tours in English, French, Filipino, Russian and other languages.

Source: Wikipedia, "Al Fateh Grand Mosque"

What you'll find

• The fibreglass dome - built as the largest of its kind at the time.
• The interior materials - Italian marble, Austrian glass and Indian teak.
• The guided tour - free tours for non-Muslims with robes provided.
• The national library - the collection housed within the complex.

When to go

November to March is the comfortable season. Tours run outside the five prayer times and not on Fridays. Mornings are the usual tour window.

What to expect

Tours do not run on Fridays and are restricted around prayer times. Dress requirements are enforced and robes must be worn. The interior is impressive but the building is recent, from the 1980s.

Nearby

Juffair is around it, and Manama's centre is north.

Key facts