Dubai’s new Andalusian-style mosque to serve 1,600 worshippers

A new mosque in Dubai that will serve 1,600 worshippers aims to be the “heart and soul” of its community.

Madinat Badr Masjid, part of Dubai Islamic Bank’s Madinat Badr development in Muhaisnah, opened to the public following an official ceremony on Thursday.

The mosque’s striking design was inspired by the Alhambra palace and fortress in Granada, in the Andalusia region of Spain.

Set among landscaped gardens, the mosque features sloped roofs with terracotta tiles, horseshoe or ‘Moorish’ arches and a colonnaded courtyard.

The interiors boast geometric motifs and engraved Arabic calligraphy under an arabesque-patterned dome.

The main hall offers views of both the praying niche (mihrab) and pulpit (mimbar), while a state-of-the-art sound system is said to match those used in the Grand Holy Mosques of Makkah and Madinah.