King Abdullah Mosque

For the mosque in Amman, Jordan, see King Abdullah I Mosque.
King Abdullah Mosque
Arabic: مسجد الملك عبدالله
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque
StatusActive
Location
LocationKingdom Centre, al-Olaya, Riyadh
CountrySaudi Arabia
King Abdullah Mosque is located in Saudi Arabia
King Abdullah Mosque
Location of the mosque in Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates24°42′41″N 46°40′28″E / 24.7113°N 46.6744°E / 24.7113; 46.6744
Architecture
TypeMosque architecture
Funded byAl Waleed bin Talal
Date established13 October 2003
Completed2004
Specifications
Interior area110 m2 (1,200 sq ft)
Dome(s)1
Elevation183 m (600 ft)

The King Abdullah Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الملك عبدالله), formerly Prince Abdullah Mosque and officially as the Mosque of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: مسجد الملك عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود), is a Sunni Islam mosque, in the al-Olaya district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located on the 77th floor of the Kingdom Centre.[1]

Situated 183 metres (600 ft) above the ground level, it holds the Guinness World Record for being the most elevated mosque in the world.[2][3][4][5] It was opened in 2003 and covers an area of 110 square metres (1,200 sq ft). The mosque is named after King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and its construction was primarily funded by Prince Al Waleed bin Talal.

Overview

In 2003, Spazio restaurant was established with assistance from Prince Al Waleed bin Talal on the 77th floor of the Kingdom Centre.

As the number of customers to the restaurant grew, the absence of a place of worship led the administration to build a mosque. In October 2003, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz established the Prince Abdullah Mosque as an annex to the restaurant.[6] The construction of the mosque was funded by Prince Al Waleed bin Talal.[7] Following the enthronement of Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as the new monarch in 2005, the mosque was renamed to King Abdullah Mosque.

In 2010, following the inauguration of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the BBC and other media outlets reported the presence of a mosque on either the 158th or 154th floor of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper, reportedly making that supposed mosque the world's most elevated mosque at 600 metres (2,000 ft) above ground level.[8][9][10] However, the claim of a mosque in the Burj Khalifa skyscraper was met with rebuttal from Emaar Properties, leaving the King Abdullah Mosque to retain its title.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ الدمام, اليوم ـ (June 25, 2006). "برج المملكة في وسط الرياض". alyaum (in Arabic). Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  2. ^ "5 must-visit mosques in Saudi Arabia, an architectural wonderland". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Forbes, Bertie Charles (2006). Forbes. Forbes Incorporated.
  4. ^ Guinness World Records 2014. Guinness World Records. September 12, 2013. ISBN 978-1-908843-56-2.
  5. ^ MEED. Economic East Economic Digest, Limited. 2006.
  6. ^ "World's Highest Mosque in Riyadh". Arab News. November 5, 2004. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  7. ^ "برج". archive.aawsat.com (in Arabic). Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  8. ^ "Burj Khalifa: The world's tallest building". BBC News. January 4, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  9. ^ السويفي, إعداد : مدحت (March 12, 2019). ""برج خليفة" يضم أعلى مسجد في العالم". www.emaratalyoum.com (in Arabic). Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  10. ^ للأخبار, مركز الاتحاد (January 10, 2010). "برج خليفة.. شاهق يصافح الفضاء ويلثم الغيوم". مركز الاتحاد للأخبار (in Arabic). Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Simpson, Colin (November 13, 2011). "Mosque in Burj Khalifa an urban myth". The National. Retrieved June 28, 2024.