On the trail of the most beautiful mosques in Oman
Published: 03:05 PM,May 13,2022 | EDITED : 07:05 PM,May 13,2022
Oman Mosques- @muiad (1)
Photograper on Spotlight:
Muiad Al Siyabi
Instagram: @Muiad
Twitter: @Muiad123
Facebook: Muiad Al-siyabi
As a Muslim country, wherever you are in Oman, you will definitely find a mosque even in the most remote of places. These mosques vary in size and structure and they can be as ornate as the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque both in Muscat and Suhar, renovated and upgraded like the ones found in Harat al Bilad in Manah and Nizwa or as simple and humble as the one found in Wadi Bani Habib in Jabal Akhdhar which is hidden among fruit trees by the foot of an abandoned village.
For many photographers in Oman, they have their own mosque muses — the ones that fit what they are looking for in terms of lighting and beauty.
Muiad al Siyabi is a young professional photographer based in Muscat who specialises in life photography. Among his many photographs, most notable are those of mosques in different seasons in Oman.
We reached out to Muiad to ask him a few things regarding what makes a mosque a beautiful muse to photographers.
Which are the three mosques you would highly recommend for people to check out and why?
Most of the mosques in Oman are beautiful, especially Sultan Qaboos mosques. Mosques provide a great opportunity to explore Oman from a cultural, historic, and architectural aspect. The best three mosques I would highly recommend for people to check out are:
Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque, Bousher
Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque is a marble-clad marvel located off the Southern Expressway. Also referred to as the Bahwan mosque, this mosque has a carpet of 2,500 sq.m reputed to be the third-largest handmade carpet in the world. The mosque has a total of 3000 sq.m. of hand-carved works of art in stone in the form of Islamic patterns and calligraphy. Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque is a magnificent and iconic artistic statement embellishing Oman’s skyline.
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Bousher
The second most recommend mosque to visit for me is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It is the grand jewel of royal Omani architecture and one of the most gorgeous mosques ever built. It is located in Bousher on the Sultan Qaboos Highway and cannot be missed. Its handmade Persian rug and its Swarovski crystal chandelier were both at some point considered the largest in the world. This mosque highlights its role as a scientific and intellectual source of knowledge across the Islamic world. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is open to non-Muslims between 8 am to 11 am Saturday to Thursday.
Al Zulfa Mosque, Seeb
Commonly known as the Royal Guards of Oman Mosque, Al Zulfa Mosque is one of the most unique mosques in the Sultanate. It opened in 1992 and is located in Al Seeb along the Sultan Qaboos Highway. Al Zulfa Mosque features more than 20 domes and a unique tinted glass work around the mihrab section of the prayer hall. Al Zulfa mosque is not open to non-Muslims.
What is the most beautiful mosque in Oman for you and why?
The most beautiful mosque in Oman for me is Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque due to its striking location in Bousher which can be seen from almost any highway going towards Muscat. The mosque dominates the landscape especially at night because of the unique golden-coloured and lighted domes, and the blue lights surrounding the mosque. For me, this mosque is an architectural wonder. The location of the mosque and its height make it an amazing attraction for me to take many shots at different times of the day but especially during sunset and moonrise. It's also a good spot for an annular eclipse. I believe that Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque is a magnificent and iconic artistic statement embellishing Muscat’s skyline.
When taking mosque photos, when is the best time to do it? Any other tips and tricks you can share?
Usually, I take most of my photos during the blue hour, that’s a time of day when the sun has just set or is about to rise. The blue hour is the best time to take landscape photos because at this time the sky shows its blue tone with saturated colours of the twilight beside the moment when the city lights begin to turn on.
I use Canon cameras with interchangeable lenses of different focal lengths zoom depending on the place. I complement it with a “Manfrotto” tripod and a Remote controller and other camera accessories.
I use Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Lightroom software on PC to edit my photos, Also I use “Photopills” App on my Smartphone for planning my shots before I get out. It helps me plan my photos ahead of time so I always get the best photo possible. Photopills is a powerful new smartphone app combining sun and moon position prediction, location shoot planning and instant calculators for exposure, depth of field, time-lapse sequences and much more.
Muiad Al Siyabi
Instagram: @Muiad
Twitter: @Muiad123
Facebook: Muiad Al-siyabi
As a Muslim country, wherever you are in Oman, you will definitely find a mosque even in the most remote of places. These mosques vary in size and structure and they can be as ornate as the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque both in Muscat and Suhar, renovated and upgraded like the ones found in Harat al Bilad in Manah and Nizwa or as simple and humble as the one found in Wadi Bani Habib in Jabal Akhdhar which is hidden among fruit trees by the foot of an abandoned village.
For many photographers in Oman, they have their own mosque muses — the ones that fit what they are looking for in terms of lighting and beauty.
Muiad al Siyabi is a young professional photographer based in Muscat who specialises in life photography. Among his many photographs, most notable are those of mosques in different seasons in Oman.
We reached out to Muiad to ask him a few things regarding what makes a mosque a beautiful muse to photographers.
Which are the three mosques you would highly recommend for people to check out and why?
Most of the mosques in Oman are beautiful, especially Sultan Qaboos mosques. Mosques provide a great opportunity to explore Oman from a cultural, historic, and architectural aspect. The best three mosques I would highly recommend for people to check out are:
Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque, Bousher
Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque is a marble-clad marvel located off the Southern Expressway. Also referred to as the Bahwan mosque, this mosque has a carpet of 2,500 sq.m reputed to be the third-largest handmade carpet in the world. The mosque has a total of 3000 sq.m. of hand-carved works of art in stone in the form of Islamic patterns and calligraphy. Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque is a magnificent and iconic artistic statement embellishing Oman’s skyline.
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Bousher
The second most recommend mosque to visit for me is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It is the grand jewel of royal Omani architecture and one of the most gorgeous mosques ever built. It is located in Bousher on the Sultan Qaboos Highway and cannot be missed. Its handmade Persian rug and its Swarovski crystal chandelier were both at some point considered the largest in the world. This mosque highlights its role as a scientific and intellectual source of knowledge across the Islamic world. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is open to non-Muslims between 8 am to 11 am Saturday to Thursday.
Al Zulfa Mosque, Seeb
Commonly known as the Royal Guards of Oman Mosque, Al Zulfa Mosque is one of the most unique mosques in the Sultanate. It opened in 1992 and is located in Al Seeb along the Sultan Qaboos Highway. Al Zulfa Mosque features more than 20 domes and a unique tinted glass work around the mihrab section of the prayer hall. Al Zulfa mosque is not open to non-Muslims.
What is the most beautiful mosque in Oman for you and why?
The most beautiful mosque in Oman for me is Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque due to its striking location in Bousher which can be seen from almost any highway going towards Muscat. The mosque dominates the landscape especially at night because of the unique golden-coloured and lighted domes, and the blue lights surrounding the mosque. For me, this mosque is an architectural wonder. The location of the mosque and its height make it an amazing attraction for me to take many shots at different times of the day but especially during sunset and moonrise. It's also a good spot for an annular eclipse. I believe that Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque is a magnificent and iconic artistic statement embellishing Muscat’s skyline.
When taking mosque photos, when is the best time to do it? Any other tips and tricks you can share?
Usually, I take most of my photos during the blue hour, that’s a time of day when the sun has just set or is about to rise. The blue hour is the best time to take landscape photos because at this time the sky shows its blue tone with saturated colours of the twilight beside the moment when the city lights begin to turn on.
I use Canon cameras with interchangeable lenses of different focal lengths zoom depending on the place. I complement it with a “Manfrotto” tripod and a Remote controller and other camera accessories.
I use Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Lightroom software on PC to edit my photos, Also I use “Photopills” App on my Smartphone for planning my shots before I get out. It helps me plan my photos ahead of time so I always get the best photo possible. Photopills is a powerful new smartphone app combining sun and moon position prediction, location shoot planning and instant calculators for exposure, depth of field, time-lapse sequences and much more.