Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque achieves three entries in Guinness Book

The newly opened Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi has achieved three entries into the Guinness Book of World Records with the largest carpet in the world, the biggest chandelier plus the largest dome of its kind in the world.

The 80-billion-rial, 35 ton, single-piece carpet measures 7,119 square meters and was made by around 1,200 weavers, 20 technicians and 30 workers. The weight of the carpet is 47 tons – 35 tons of wool and 12 tons of cotton. There are a staggering 2,268,000 knots within the carpet, which took hundreds of artisans in Iran 12 months to weave into the piece of art that it is.

The biggest of the seven Swarovski crystal encrusted chandeliers featured in the mosque also enters the Guinness Book of Records. The breath-taking chandelier has a 10 meter diameter, a 15 meter height and is stainless steel plated in 24 carat gold. Over one million crystals were used in all seven chandeliers.

There are a total of 82 domes within the mosque, the outer shell of the main dome is 32.8 metres in diameter and has a height of 70 metres. This is the largest of its kind in the world, contributing to the three world record that the mosque has achieved.

The mosque, which opened to visitors on 21 January 2008, was initiated by the late President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, fondly thought of as the father of the UAE. As one enters the capital city, the mosque stands as a symbol of the warm hospitality and traditions of Abu Dhabi.

A total of 40,960 worshippers can be accommodated at one time, 7,126 in the main prayer hall, 1,960 in the open prayer hall, 980 female worshippers in the open prayer hall, 22,729 worshippers in the open Sahan Area, 682 in the main prayer hall entrance and 784 in the mosque main hall entrances.

Ali Al Hosani, Promotions Director of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority said, “The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque will become one of the landmarks not only of Abu Dhabi but of the whole of the UAE. As well as becoming an important place of worship, the mosque is extremely valuable as an attraction for visitors to the emirate.”

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque will be open for guided educational tours commencing at 10am to 11.30am Sunday to Thursday (i.e. 60-90 mins). Source