Faisal Mosque

The impetus for the mosque began in 1966 when King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz supported the initiative of the Pakistani Government to build a national mosque in Islamabad during an official visit to Pakistan. In 1969, an international competition was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. The winning design was that of Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay. of land were assigned for the project and the execution was assigned to Pakistani engineers and workers. Construction of the mosque began in 1976 by National Construction Limited of Pakistan, led by Azim Khan and was funded by the government of Saudi Arabia, at a cost of over 130 million Saudi riyals (approximately 120 million USD today). King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was instrumental in the funding, and both the mosque and the road leading to it were named after him after his assassination in 1975. King Faisal bin Abdulaziz's successor King Khalid laid the foundation stone for the mosque in October 1976 and signed the construction agreement in 1978. Basic information about the mosque can be found written on the foundation stone. On 18 June 1988, the first prayer was held, although the mosque was completed in 1986. The mosque grounds along with being a building for prayer also used to house the International Islamic University some years ago but has since relocated to a new campus in 2000. Some traditional and conservative Muslims criticised the design at first for its unconventional design and lack of a traditional dome structure. ==Capacity==

The mosque can accommodate about 300,000 worshippers. Each of the Mosque's four minarets are high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10×10 metres in circumference. The main areas have the capacity to hold up to 74000 people in the main areas including the inner hall, and the courtyards. The grounds around the mosque have the capacity to contain up to 200,000 people. ==Architecture==

{{Blockquote Now, if you join the apex of each minaret to the base of the minaret diagonally opposite to it correspondingly, a four-sided pyramid shall be bound by these lines at the base side within that invisible cube. That lower level pyramid is treated as a solid body while four minarets with their apex complete the imaginary cube of Kaaba. Instead of using traditional domes, Vedat Dalokay designed an eight-sided main hall that looked like an Arab's Bedouin desert tent. Additionally, he added four minarets on all four corners of the main hall, which are of high, the tallest minarets in South Asia. The main structure of the building is the main prayer hall, which is supported by four concrete girders. The four unusual minarets are inspired by Turkish architecture. Dalokay also believed that the design of the Masjid represents Kaaba in an abstract manner. Entrance is from the east, where the prayer hall is fronted by a courtyard with porticoes. The International Islamic University was housed under the main courtyard but now has relocated to a new campus. The mosque still houses a library, lecture hall, museum, and cafe. The interior of the main tent-shaped hall is covered in white marble and decorated with mosaics and calligraphy by the famous Pakistani artist Sadequain, and a Turkish-style chandelier. The mosaic pattern adorns the west wall and has the Kalimah written in early Kufic script, repeated in mirror image pattern. The interior of the mosque uses Turkish and Pakistani inspired decorations. The mosque takes an unusual route to its design by combining contemporary and classic Islamic architecture. The unique design takes most of its elements from nomadic Bedouin tent, but it still manages to keep in contact with Islamic architecture by using Ottoman style minarets and square shape form the Kaaba. == Topography ==

Located at the foot of the Margalla Hills, the location plays a significant role for the mosque. The mosque is visible from miles away and sits on a higher surface compared to the main city. It faces the city and is backed by green mountain ranges, giving it a scenic view. ==References in literature==

The Faisal Mosque is described in the book The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini. It is frequently referenced in the work of Michael Muhammad Knight, who came to the mosque to study Islam as a teenager. ==Gallery==

File:Ali Mujtaba WLM2015 FAISAL MOSQUE m 10.jpg|Front view File:Ali Mujtaba WLM2015 FAISAL MOSQUE 06.jpg|Portrait File:Faisal Mosque - Bird's Eye View.jpg|Aerial view File:Snow-capped Margalla Hills, Islamabad, Pakistan.jpg|The mosque and Snow-capped Margalla Hills File:Shah Faisal Masjid, Islamabad.JPG|Elevation view of the mosque File:Faisal Masjid on 27th Ramadan.jpg|During 27th Ramadan File:Faisal Mosque by M Ali Mir.jpg File:Faisal Masjid From Damn e koh.jpg|From Daman-e-Koh File:Faisal Masjid seen from Margalla Hills.jpg|View from Margalla Hills File:Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan.jpg|View before sunset File:FaisalMasjid.jpg|The mosque at night during prayer times File:Faisal Masjid in cloudy weather.jpg|Faisal Masjid in cloudy weather File:A view of Faisal Mosque, Islamabad from Daman-e-koh.JPG|View of Faisal Mosque and Jamia Faridia from Daman-e-Koh, Islamabad File:Faisal Masjid at twilight.jpg|Faisal Masjid at twilight File:Faisal Mosque fanoos.jpg|Faisal mosque main hall chandelier ==See also==