Mosques are the place of worship built for Muslims to pray to God. Within the Muslim religion, it is a place considered sacred and in order to enter a mosque, one has to follow several steps, including converting to Islam.
The first mosque to ever be built in Islam is Quba located in Saudi Arabia built it 622 CE. Ever since thousands of other mosques were built all over the world but mostly around the middle east countries and Morroco, Egypt, Siria, and Turkey.
With the pandemic around the world right now virtual tours are at high demand and the prime of Virtual tours are indoor locations.
Mosques make a great option for virtual tours as it presents the viewers with so many details that you most likely wouldn’t be able to see at the naked eye.
So here it is, a list of the 5 best mosques virtual tours that you should not miss out on it!
1. Mosque-Madrassa-Khanqah of Az-Zaher Barquq complex, Cairo
Established by Sultan al-Zahir Baruq, also the founder of the Mamluk Burji dynasty in Egypt, the mosque Mosque-Madrassa is a religious complex inaugurated in 788 AH/ 1386 AD located in the historic district in Cario region of Egypt.
One of the largest architectural heritage collections in the world the mosque consists of an open courtyard and four iwans, including a marble mihrab, a Quran chair, a bench, and a wooden pulpit.
Recently a virtual tour of the Mosque-Madrassa has been made available by the Ministry of Tourism in Egypt and is for sure one of the best options for a Mosque virtual tour out there.
2. Mohamed Ali Mosque, Cairo
Situated in the Citadel of Cairo Egypt, the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848.
Choosing to build his mosque in the Ottman’s architectural style, the mosque was built in a central dome, surrounded by 4 semicircular domes and Measuring 41x41 meters in total.
Mohamed Ali mosque is one of the greatest mosques in the world and therefore a perfect option for a Virtual Tour.
3. Blue Mosque, Istanbul
With fascinating internal ceilings and decorations, the Blue Mosque located in Turkey Instanbul is also known as Sultan Ahmed Mosque and it was built between 1609 and 1616 during Ahmed I’s reign.
Inside the mosque, you will be able to find in its Kulliye the tomb of Ahmed I, also a madrasah which is a religious school, and a hospice. The mosque gets its name by the fact that its interior is covered in blue hand-painted tiles and at night as the lights come on, the mosque is covered with blue lights in all of its five main domes, six minarets, and eight secondary domes.
With all of that said the Blue Mosque is sure a great option when surfing the web for Virtual tours.
4. Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi
Located in Abu Dabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the country, and its the place to be for Friday and Eid prayers among Muslims in Abu Dabi. It’s estimated that a total of 41000 people visit the mosque during the Eid prayers.
Built between the years of 1966 and 2007 the mosque was originally designed by Syrian architect Yousef Abdelky and it measures approximately 290 by 420 m covering over 12 hectares but that’s without including the exterior landscaping and parking lot.
Being such an enormous building now visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque can be done on your own time and within the safety of your home. Being a relatively new building, this mosque has unique architecture, and its a result of the president of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Zayed who intention was to unite cultural diversity of the Islamic world within modern architecture and art.
5. Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem
Located in the old city of Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third holiest place within Islam. Built on the top of the Temple Mount in a compound called the Al-Aqsa compound, it is believed within the followers of the Muslim faith that Muhammad was somehow transported from the Great Mosque of Mecca to Al-Aqsa during the night.
Muslim visitors are welcome to visit Al-Aqsa at any time but now with the option of virtual tours, anyone can see the magnificent architectural work of the indoors of this beautiful mosque.