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 mosque in the al-Olaya district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located on the 77th floor of the Kingdom Centre.[1] Situated 183 meters 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 meters. The mosque is named after King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and its construction was primarily funded by Prince Al Waleed bin Talal.
| King Abdullah Mosque | |
|---|---|
مسجد الملك عبدالله | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Kingdom Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Geographic coordinates | 24°42′41″N 46°40′28″E / 24.7113°N 46.6744°E |
| Architecture | |
| Funded by | Al Waleed bin Talal |
| Date established | 13 October 2003 |
| Completed | 5 July 2004 |
| Specifications | |
| Interior area | 110 square meters |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
| Minaret(s) | 0 |
Overview
editIn 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, BBC and other media outlets reported the presence of a mosque on either 158th or 154th floor of the skyscraper, making it the world's most elevated mosque at 600 meters above ground level.[8][9][10] However, the claim was met with rebuttal from Emaar Properties, leaving the King Abdullah Mosque to retain its title.[11]
References
edit- ^ الدمام, اليوم ـ (2006-06-25). "برج المملكة في وسط الرياض". alyaum (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ "5 must-visit mosques in Saudi Arabia, an architectural wonderland". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ Forbes, Bertie Charles (2006). Forbes. Forbes Incorporated.
- ^ Records, Guinness World (2013-09-12). Guinness World Records 2014. Guinness World Records. ISBN 978-1-908843-56-2.
- ^ MEED. Economic East Economic Digest, Limited. 2006.
- ^ "World's Highest Mosque in Riyadh". Arab News. 2004-11-05. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ "برج". archive.aawsat.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ "Burj Khalifa: The world's tallest building". 2010-01-04. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ السويفي, إعداد : مدحت (2019-03-12). ""برج خليفة" يضم أعلى مسجد في العالم". www.emaratalyoum.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ للأخبار, مركز الاتحاد (2010-01-10). "برج خليفة.. شاهق يصافح الفضاء ويلثم الغيوم". مركز الاتحاد للأخبار (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ Simpson, Colin (2011-11-13). "Mosque in Burj Khalifa an urban myth". The National. Retrieved 2024-06-28.