Dewan Architects + Engineers designed Nur Sultan Grand Mosque in Kazakhstan opens for

Nur Sultan Grand Mosque in Kazakhstan is now open for visitors, it has been announced. It is expected to become one of the new symbols and attractions in Nur Sultan, the capital of the Central Asian country.

Designed by Dewan Architects + Engineers, the mosque has a closed area of 68,060sqm and an open courtyard of 6,300sqm. It is located on approximately 10.3ha of land and has a 63m diameter and 83m high dome. There are a total of 73 domes and four minarets of 130m height.

Planned as a tourist attraction, the mosque will be one of the largest in Central Asia, with space for 30,000 people in its prayer area. It also includes a number of different functions, such as conference and wedding halls, VIP rooms for guests, classrooms, offices, a library, and spaces for funeral services, as well as parking.

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The mosque was built on the initiative of, and under the supervision of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the former President of Kazakhstan. It is expected to become a symbol of the unity and friendship of the 130 ethnic groups living within the country.

Nazarbayev, who examined the architecture of many worship places during his trips abroad and laid the foundation for the construction the day before he left his Presidency, also participated in designing the mosque. The design is therefore derived from the collective experience of the Muslim world.

Natural materials such as natural stone, marble, gold leaf, special crystal, stained glass, tile, and glass mosaic were used in the project.

In January 2020, the UAE and Kazakhstan announced $11bn in joint venture projects.

Chairman of the main contractor Sembol Construction & Rixos Hotels, Fettah Tamince had carefully studied together with experts from Turkey, Arab countries, Italy, Germany, and other parts of the world for this mosque combining the spaciousness of blue domes with its magnificent architecture, a statement said.

The Grand Mosque can be seen from many parts of the city and has been nominated for the Guinness World Records. Amongst its achievements is the size of its main chandelier in the Haram Section, while the Qibla Wall claims to be one of the largest of its kind, with the number of crystals used and its total size.

Furthermore, the mosque has one of the largest temple doors in the world, and also includes the world’s largest mosque courtyard built in geographies where the winter climate prevails. The 70m-diameter carpet is among the candidates for the world record.

The structure is of great importance for the Kazakhstan tourism industry, as it aims to host up to 30,000 visitors simultaneously, the statement concluded.

In April 2022, Saudi Arabia launched the largest expansion project for Islam’s historic first mosque.