Jumeirah Mosque

A popular tourist destination of Dubai City, the Jumeirah Mosque is built in the medieval Fatimid tradition, standing as a token to modern, as well as traditional, Islamic architecture.

Designed to produce elegant shadows, the structure’s columns are built to support, as well as decorate. Its Fatimid tradition of building is mixed with modern building elements , making it among the most beautiful mosques in Dubai.

Long before 1960, the Jumeirah areas were dominated by pearl divers, fishermen and traders. By 1995, when growth and development across Dubai led to the construction of housing projects, the need for a mosque was made necessary, thus the birth of the Jumeirah Mosque.

Insights and first-hand cultural understanding experiences are organized by the Jumeirah Mosque, making it an avenue for non-Muslims to see the Islamic religion, up close and personal.

Jumeirah Mosque tours are conducted Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 in the morning. Children below 5 years of age aren’t allowed to be part of the tour. The tour is organized by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, in the hopes of bringing down barriers between the various cultural groups residing in the UAE.

The inside architecture of the Jumeirah Mosque entails an amalgam of traditional elements. Its Oibla walls face Mecca, as this is the direction a Muslim in prayer must face. The prayer area facing the center of the Oibla walls, known as the Mihrab, indicates the exact praying direction, and is the most holy arera in the Jumeirah Mosque. The platform to the right of the Mihrab, called the Minbar, is where the imam, the prayer leader, leads the prayers and delivers the khutba, or the Friday sermon.

As most tours, the Jumeirah Mosque tour has a set of rules. Respect and silence is demanded as prayers and other religious activities happen, like the wudu. The wudu is the ritual cleansing which is done before entering the Jumeirah Mosque. It starts with the washing of the right and left hands, then the mouth, nose, the face, the right and left arm, the head, the ears, and finally the right and left foot, with each wash done three times.

No prior booking is required for the Jumeirah Mosque tour, but proper attire is. Ladies have to be covered, wearing long sleeves, long skirts or trousers, and wear a hat or scarf. Gentlemen are to wear long pants or trousers, a shirt but no vests. No footwear is also allowed within the Mosque’s premises.