In the ever-evolving heart of Al Irfan City, Muscat’s vision for the future finds its quiet soul in stone, the Al Irfan Grand Mosque, a masterpiece where faith meets modern design and where the rhythm of prayer blends with the hum of a city in motion. From afar, the mosque appears to rise out of the urban fabric like a whisper of calm, its elegant minaret reaching skyward as if calling not only to worshippers, but to the spirit of reflection itself.
Since the dawn of Islam, the mosque has stood as both sanctuary and statement, an embodiment of spiritual identity and architectural artistry. Al Irfan Grand Mosque renews that legacy with a contemporary eye. Its design reimagines the traditional liwan, the shaded vestibule that once defined ancient mosques, transforming it into a striking circular form that rests at the heart of the courtyard. Here, geometry becomes grace, the circular liwan invites worshippers inward, guiding them gently towards tranquility. As day fades into night, the lighting design deepens this experience, leading visitors from the calm glow of the exterior to the sacred hush of the main prayer hall.
Every curve and contour of the mosque is born of inspiration from Omani, Arab and Islamic architectural traditions, reinterpreted with a modern sensibility befitting a city defined by innovation. The sixty-metre-high minaret, while visually fluid, is engineered with precision to balance light, shadow and sound, its elegant proportions giving the call to prayer a sculptural resonance. The result is an architectural landmark visible from all directions, a compass point for the city and a symbol of its spiritual and cultural aspiration.
From the first glance, Al Irfan Mosque captures the eye with its harmony, a dialogue between simplicity and grandeur. The sleek verticality of its minaret rises above a structure adorned with refined Islamic motifs, a meeting of heritage and modernity, earth and sky. The exterior, luminous yet grounded, evokes reverence without extravagance. In moments of stillness, the mosque transforms into a silent artwork, a sculpture of devotion that radiates dignity, grace and quiet majesty. The minaret seems to lift the spirit upward while the building’s firm foundation anchors it to the earth, creating a balance of faith and intellect, of heaven’s reach and humanity’s embrace.
Yet Al Irfan Mosque is far more than a conventional place of worship. It is a living centre of culture and learning, a house where prayer meets purpose. Within its walls, a modern digital library, soon to open, will welcome researchers, students and avid readers from across the city. Designed as a space for both contemplation and connection, the library features reading areas bathed in natural light, a café for discussion and a view that opens onto serene green landscapes. Complementing it is Sablat Al Irfan, a social hall for community gatherings, lectures and celebrations, a space where joy and remembrance coexist. Workshops, educational sessions and faith-based talks will also find their home in the mosque’s multipurpose hall, ensuring that knowledge flows as freely as prayer.
This spirit of inclusivity extends through every part of the complex, a dedicated women’s prayer area, a learning centre that empowers women’s participation in religious and educational life, an imam’s residence providing stability and continuity, and even a modern facility for funeral rites, all reflecting the mosque’s commitment to serving the full spectrum of community needs.
The story of its creation mirrors the collaborative spirit of the city itself.
The vision took shape in August 2022 and, over two years of careful planning and craftsmanship, evolved into a reality inaugurated on Friday, November 7, 2025, in a ceremony attended by Dr Mohammed bin Said al Maamari, Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs along with citizens and officials. The design was developed by an acclaimed Portuguese architectural firm, whose approach gracefully fuses global artistry with the calm elegance of Omani tradition. Inside, every detail tells a story, a custom-woven carpet designed by an Iranian artisan in hues of quiet earth and sea, a chandelier of pure Czech crystal descending like a shower of light, both tributes to a dialogue between cultures united in beauty.
Al Irfan Grand Mosque now serves a district that spans more than 1.5 million square metres, a landscape of homes, institutions and innovation. Its presence was born of community initiative, built as a sadaqa jariya, an enduring charitable gift that reflects a shared belief that the mosque must grow with its city, not apart from it.
In essence, the Al Irfan Grand Mosque is more than architecture, it is rather a conversation between past and future, faith and progress, silence and song. It stands as Muscat’s spiritual landmark in the city of tomorrow, a place where architecture becomes prayer and where the soul of a nation finds space to breathe.
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