A new mosque, capable of accommodating 3,500 worshippers, has opened in Sharjah ahead of Ramadan. Al Firdaus Mosque, which overlooks Al Mamzar lakes, is inspired by the Islamic Fatimid architecture of northern Africa. The 3,910 square metre mosque is flanked with two 57-metre-tall minarets and its walls are decorated with inscriptions of Quranic verses. Abdullah Khalifa Al Sabousi, director of the emirate’s Department of Islamic Affairs, donated the cost for the mosque’s construction. He said it was built in anticipation of Ramadan, when the number of mosque-goers is expected to increase, and that more mosques would be opened ahead of the holy month. The two-storey mosque comprises a men’s praying area, which accommodates 3,000 people, and a women’s section that can take up to 300 worshippers.