Faisal Mosque, Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Faisal Mosque is Pakistan's national mosque, set at the foot of the Margalla Hills at the north end of Faisal Avenue in Islamabad. Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay gave it an eight-sided concrete shell roof that slopes to a peak like a Bedouin tent, with four 90 m minarets at the corners. The complex covers 130,000 m².
Construction began in 1976 with financial support from King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and followed the design by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay. The work was completed in 1986, ten years after the project started.
The interior carries mosaics and calligraphy by Pakistani artist Sadequain, including the Kalimah in early Kufic script repeated as a mirror image on the west wall. The Qibla Wall is clad in blue and white calligraphic tiles designed by Turkish artist Mengu Ertel, and a Turkish-style chandelier hangs in the hall.
The building can hold up to 300,000 worshippers in the main hall, side rooms, and courtyards, with separate areas for men and women. The location at the foot of the Margalla Hills makes the site visible from a distance.
The shape of the roof recalls a Bedouin tent and departs from the typical dome design of Islamic prayer sites. This unusual silhouette stands out against the wooded slopes in the background.
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