On the banks of the palm tree-lined Khalid Lagoon sits the majestic Al Noor Mosque. The landmark on the Buhaira Corniche in Sharjah was built under the patronage of the wife of Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.
It was completed in 2005, with space for more than 2,000 worshippers at a time. It has since become one of the city’s most recognisable mosques and an architectural must-see for tourists.
The Arabic word noor translates to light, an element that is intrinsically connected to Islamic culture, representing divine guidance and knowledge. Therefore, the name of the mosque itself connects to the idea of seeking enlightenment and knowledge.
While Al Noor Mosque is grand and impressive, a closer look at its design reveals a thoughtful approach to melding decorative elements with clean, modern architectural lines and shapes. Its Ottoman design was influenced by the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, more commonly known as the Blue Mosque, in Istanbul.
The Turkish mosque's grand scale, harmonious proportions and lavish decorative elements are trademark features of the classical Ottoman style. From slender minarets and large domes to intricate tile work, vibrant colours and geometric patterns, the style, which reached its height in the early 17th century in the region, is perhaps one most recognised globally as “Islamic".
Al Noor Mosque takes its cues from these stylistic features, though on a much smaller and simplified scale but no less refined or grand in its presence. Cascading domes, 34 in total, sit on top of the structure. Covered with a delicate and graphic standing seam checked pattern, the central dome weighs approximately 100 tonnes and is supported by four main marble pillars.
The central dome is surrounded by several half domes and four small cupola domes in the corners. Most of these are lined with rounded arch windows.
The domes sit between two towering minarets, which face the main entrance of the mosque. Graceful and slender, the 52-metre high minarets are cylindrical and fluted, with no balconies and are decorated with floral geometric designs and crowned with a conical peak. They exemplify the atypical minarets of the Ottoman style.
Ornamental parapets with a floral motif line the edges of the rectilinear base of the structure. These create a marked distinction between the soft shapes of the domes and the cylindrical shape of the minarets against the hard-lined rectangular elements of the mosque’s foundation. The floral motif also connects these two sections, stylistically creating balance and cohesion.
In contrast to the top of the structure, the base of the mosque is modest with its clean brick lines, three oriental arches and slender pillars. The colour is a light beige with accents of pale blue, both of which serenely reflect the environment from the water of Khaled Lagoon to the sand on its banks as seen from the other side of the lake.
Al Noor Mosque is one of the few mosques that’s open to the public with tours available for individuals and groups. The tours include a guided talk about the mosque’s architecture, Islamic culture and Emirati history and heritage.
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ICC men's cricketer of the year
2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
