A Taj Mahal in Kuwait
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Taj Mahal of India is widely recognized as "The Jewel of art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It’s a unique monument built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and one of the best examples of Islamic architecture.
Millions are visiting India to get glimpses of this unique architectural beauty and this includes a large number from Middle East. How about seeing the beauty of Taj Mahal here itself in Kuwait?
Inspired by the architecture of Taj Mahal, Kuwait has designed a mosque exactly like Taj Mahal, a replica. The Mosque is a bigger version of India’s Taj Mahal. It’s 3 times bigger.
As-Sadeeqa Fatimatul Zahra Mosque, a prayer place for the Kuwaitis looks similar to India’s Taj Mahal from the outside. Located at Block 6, Abdullah Al-Mubarak area, West of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, the mosque is already gaining a reputation as one of Kuwait's most distinctive buildings and is called the Taj Mahal of Kuwait.
It’s learned that the Member of Parliament, Mr. Hassan Johar, who was behind this unique project here, received the blessing of the Indian embassy before building the mosque.
Internal design of the Mosque differs from the original. It consists of carvings of verses from the Quran. The four minarets and central dome of the Mosque are adorned with brass crescents. The main prayer area is at the ground floor with library and utilities. It has a separate prayer hall for the women in the first floor. The Mosque was officially opened for the public in 2011.
The beauty of the Mosque in middle of the desert is mesmerizing. It’s a proud feeling for all Indians here in Kuwait to witness the replica of Taj Mahal in Kuwait. For those who have not seen Taj Mahal in India can now see it in Kuwait.
s
Deepika Nambiar is part of the IIK team and IWIK core team. She does regular contributions to the news portal IndiansinKuwait.com and also for Timesofindia.com.
View full profile