Jumeirah Mosque
Area: Jumeirah Beach, Dubai
The beautiful Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai is a much-photographed landmark, especially when lit up against an evening sky. Built in the Medieval Fatimid tradition, the Jumeirah Mosque has a capacity of 1,200 people.
For all the glitz and glamor of Dubai, there’s still an undercurrent of humility amongst many of its Muslim population, which a visit to Jumeirah Mosque makes apparent. It’s one of the few ways that visitors can sweep aside the veil of Islam and witness the real face of the country’s religion. It’s also the only Dubai mosque to open its doors to non-Muslims.
The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding organizes tours of the Jumeirah Mosque as part of its Open Doors, Open Minds policy, designed to bring different nationalities together. Most unusually, photography inside is allowed, so it’s worth packing a camera. The tour, which is as much fact-finding as sight-seeing, lasts 1½ hours and there’s a Q&A session at the end.