UAE’s second-largest mosque has become a landmark since opening one year ago

Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Fujairah has had thousands of visitors in the past year and, despite some teething problems, visitors are enamoured with the place.

“Each time I pray at the mosque I feel the greatness of the place,” says Mostafa Hussain, a worshipper at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Fujairah. Satish Kumar / The National

FUJAIRAH // A year after opening its doors at Eid Al Adha last year, the UAE’s second-largest mosque has become a popular site for pilgrims.

Thousands of worshippers from across the Emirates have visited Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Fujairah since it first opened its doors last year.

Despite a few initial problems, the mosque has become one of the most prominent landmarks in Fujairah and a centre for the Islamic faith.

Visitors said they were proud to have such a great mosque with a unique design and vast space – it is the size of three football fields.

“I visit the mosque almost every Friday, and each time I pray at the mosque I feel the greatness of the place – with all the unique Islamic architecture and breathtaking designs,” said Mostafa Hussain, a 27-year-old Egyptian.

But when he and some friends from Dubai went to the mosque for Friday prayers last week, the speakers suddenly stopped working, making it hard to hear the imam’s sermon.

“Such problems happen once in a while and I think they [the mosque management] are working on it. Despite that, my friends were very happy with the experience and the layout of the mosque,” said Mr Hussain.

Another worshipper said the air-conditioning did not work at times during Ramadan, adding that was partly because of the huge numbers of the faithful gathered in the 28,000-capacity mosque.

“I used to perform taraweeh prayers with my daughters at the mosque. It is a great experience for all of us despite the air-conditioning problems when it becomes overcrowded with worshippers,” said Sumaia Khalil, a 42-year-old Jordanian.

“We are very proud to have such a unique monument in the area – the layout and designs are magnificent and the services are great.”

The 39,000-square-metre mosque, named after the UAE’s Founding Father, cost Dh210 million to build.

The construction project began in 2010 and was funded by the President, Sheikh Khalifa.

It was carried out by the Ministry of Public Works and supervised by Fujairah Municipality.

Located on Mohammed bin Matar Road, the mosque has 65 domes and six minarets, each between 80 and 100 metres high.

The courtyard can accommodate 14,000 people and has fountains and gardens.

Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, the Ruler of ­Fujairah, led the opening prayers at the mosque last year.