King Fahad Mosque

The King Fahad Mosque is a large, two-story while marble building with 63,000 square feet of prayer space, an auditorium, a library, office space, and conference rooms. The million mosque is the largest of the sixteen mosques and cultural centers that the late Saudi King Fahud financed, donating land in 1993 and funds for the building in 1995. The mosque, which opened in 1998, features traditional elements of Islamic architecture such as a dome, prayer space oriented towards Mecca, hand made tiles from Turkey, and a 72-foot tall minaret topped by a gold leaf crescent. The main entrance is flanked by pairs of double columns. A two-level parking garage sits below the structure.Inside, the marble walls of the main prayer hall and the women's balcony are ornamented with patterned tiles and tile inscriptions, and the dome over the prayer hall is decorated in foliate patterns and calligraphy, with a chandelier hanging from its center. The mihrab and minbar are also tiled.Sources:King Fahad Mosque. "About Us!" Accessed February 27, 2015. http://kingfahadmosque.org/contacts/about-us/.Ridley-Thomad, Mark. "Architectural Sites: King Fahad Mosque." Accessed February 27, 2015. http://ridley-thomas.lacounty.gov/index.php/architectural-sites-willowbrook/.Rubin, Barry M. Guide to Islamist movements Vol. 2, 587. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2010.