Al Fateh Grand Mosque

The Al Fateh Grand Mosque stands on the Al Fateh Highway in Juffair, Manama, and is the largest place of worship in Bahrain. It was completed in 1987 and named in honour of Ahmed Al Fateh, the eighteenth-century ruler who conquered Bahrain and founded the line of the ruling family. The mosque can hold several thousand worshippers and is a national symbol, widely used as an image of the kingdom. It also houses the Ahmed Al-Fateh Islamic Centre and the national library, which gives it a scholarly role beyond worship.

Architecturally the mosque is a modern composition in the Islamic tradition. A large fibreglass dome, among the biggest of its kind, crowns the prayer hall and is supported without internal columns. The building is faced in white and finished with Arabic calligraphy, and its interior features chandeliers imported from Austria, marble brought from Italy and carpets laid in a single large piece. The doors and woodwork are carved with geometric patterns, and the dome is lit from within by a ring of windows that fill the hall with natural light. Because the structure is only a few decades old, it is in an excellent state of preservation and is maintained by the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs.

The visitor experience is guided rather than curatorial. The mosque is open to non-Muslims on guided tours on Saturday to Thursday, usually from about 09:00 to 16:00, and it is closed to non-Muslim visitors on Fridays and public holidays. Tour guides explain the prayer rituals, the design and the history of the building in English, and visitors can ask questions about Islam. Women are asked to wear an abaya and headscarf, which are available at the entrance, and men should wear long trousers and a shirt with sleeves. Shoes are removed before entering.

Entry is free. A typical visit lasts around 45 minutes to an hour, and the mosque is easy to reach from central Manama and Juffair by taxi.