The world's most beautiful mosques: Quba to Hassan II and Kul Sharif

In Saudi Arabia and the Gulf

Place	Why go	Before you go
Quba Mosque	The first mosque built in Islam; whoever performs ablution at home and then prays in it earns the reward of an Umrah.	About 3.5 km south of the Prophet's Mosque
Masjid al-Qiblatain	Where the qibla changed from Jerusalem to the Kaaba.	North-west of Madinah
Jawatha Mosque	One of the oldest mosques in Islamic history, where the first Friday prayer after the Prophet's Mosque was held.	North-east of Hofuf, Al-Ahsa
Al Rahma Mosque (the Floating Mosque)	A mosque on the sea that seems to float on the water.	Jeddah Corniche
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque	An architectural masterpiece of white domes and inlaid columns.	Abu Dhabi
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque	An architectural masterpiece with a huge chandelier and one of the world's largest hand-woven carpets.	Muscat
Al-Fateh Grand Mosque	One of the region's largest mosques, with a huge dome and beautiful Islamic architecture.	Juffair, Bahrain
Al Bidya Mosque	The oldest mosque in the UAE, with small clay domes at the foot of the mountain.	North of Fujairah

Türkiye, the Balkans, Egypt and Jordan

Place	Why go	Before you go
Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque	Istanbul's best-known historic landmarks on Sultanahmet Square, the Blue Mosque with its six minarets and blue tiles.	Sultanahmet, Istanbul
The Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami)	One of the best-known early Ottoman mosques, with twenty domes and a fountain inside.	Central Bursa
The Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque	One of the finest Ottoman mosques in the Balkans, built in the 16th century.	Baščaršija, Sarajevo
The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque	An Ottoman mosque whose minaret you can climb for a view of the bridge and river.	Mostar, Bosnia
Al-Azhar Mosque	One of Cairo's oldest mosques and universities, a beacon of learning for more than a thousand years.	Near Khan el-Khalili, Cairo
The Muhammad Ali Mosque	Inside Saladin's Citadel on the Muqattam hills, with its famous domes and wide views over Cairo.	Al-Qal'a district, Cairo
King Abdullah I Mosque	A mosque with a blue mosaic dome, one of modern Amman's landmarks.	Abdali, Amman

The Maghreb and Andalusia

Place	Why go	Before you go
The Hassan II Mosque	A huge mosque on the ocean with one of the tallest minarets in the world.	Casablanca
The Al Qarawiyyin Mosque	Founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 859, one of the oldest universities in the world.	The old city, Fez
The Koutoubia Mosque	A historic mosque whose soaring minaret is the symbol of Marrakech.	Near Jemaa el-Fnaa
The Great Mosque of Kairouan	The Mosque of Uqba ibn Nafi, one of the oldest and most revered mosques in North Africa, on the World Heritage list.	Kairouan, Tunisia
Al-Zaytuna Mosque	An ancient mosque surrounded by the lanes and souqs of the old medina, on the World Heritage list.	Central Tunis
The Great Mosque of Córdoba	One of the greatest monuments of Islamic civilisation in Andalusia, with its famous arches.	Córdoba, about 45 minutes by train from Seville

Russia and Central Asia

Place	Why go	Before you go
Kul Sharif Mosque	A mosque with four minarets and a blue dome inside the Kazan Kremlin, opened in 2005 and one of Russia's best-known landmarks.	Kazan
The Moscow Grand Mosque	One of Europe's largest mosques, with golden domes and minarets.	Near Prospekt Mira station, Moscow
Hazrat Sultan Mosque	One of the largest mosques in Central Asia, with white domes.	Astana, Kazakhstan
Bibi-Khanym Mosque	One of the largest mosques of the Silk Road, with a huge turquoise dome.	Samarkand, near Siyob Bazaar
Bolo-Hauz Mosque	A mosque from 1712 overlooking a pool, with slender wooden columns added in 1917.	Opposite the Ark, Bukhara

East Asia, India and the Maldives

Place	Why go	Before you go
The Istiqlal Mosque	The largest mosque in Southeast Asia.	Jakarta, Indonesia
The National Mosque	A mosque of distinctive modern design, next to a museum with a rich collection of Islamic art.	Kuala Lumpur
The Kapitan Keling Mosque	A historic mosque with domes and minarets in the heart of George Town.	Penang, Malaysia
The Great Mosque of Xi'an	One of China's oldest and largest mosques, in Chinese style with pavilions and gardens.	Central Xi'an
Niujie Mosque	Beijing's oldest mosque, founded more than a thousand years ago in Chinese style, with a street of halal restaurants around it.	Niujie, Beijing
Jama Masjid, Delhi	One of India's largest mosques, built by Shah Jahan, with a courtyard for thousands of worshippers.	Old Delhi
The Old Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskiy)	A historic 17th-century mosque built of coral stone.	Malé, the Maldives

Tips before you go

Check visiting hours before you go: many historic mosques close to visitors at prayer times, and some on Friday mornings.
Dress modestly, and women should cover their hair; some large mosques lend abayas to visitors at the entrance.
Keep quiet inside the mosque, and ask before taking photos in the prayer halls.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most beautiful mosques in the Gulf?

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat and the Al-Fateh Grand Mosque in Bahrain.

Which old mosques can I visit in Saudi Arabia besides the Two Holy Mosques?

Quba Mosque in Madinah, the first mosque built in Islam, and Jawatha Mosque in Al-Ahsa.

What are the most famous mosques in Europe?

Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the Mosque of Córdoba in Spain, the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Sarajevo and the Moscow Grand Mosque.

Are there historic mosques in China?

Yes, the Great Mosque of Xi'an and Niujie Mosque in Beijing, both in Chinese style, with halal restaurants around them.

Last updated: October 2026. The information is for guidance only; ticket prices and opening hours are set by each attraction and may change, so check them on the official website before you go.