Monday, April 20, 2009

PAKISTAN BIG MASJID

The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fourth largest mosque in the world. It was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 to 1993 when overtaken in size by the completion of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. Subsequent expansions of the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of MAKKAH and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, Saudi Arabia during the 1990s relegated Faisal Mosque to fourth place in terms of size.
Faisal Mosque is the National Mosque of Pakistan. It has a covered area of 5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft) and has a capacity to accommodate approximately 300,000 worshippers (100,000 in its main prayer hall, courtyard and porticoes and another 200,000 in its adjoining grounds). Although its covered main prayer hall is smaller than that of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (the world's third largest mosque), Faisal Mosque has the third largest capacity of accommodating worshippers in its adjoining grounds after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of MAKKAH, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina.[2]. Each of the Mosque's four minarets are 80 m (260 ft) high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10 x 10 m in circumference.
The Faisal Mosque is named after the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project.

THE PROPHET MASJID (MADINA CITY)

The Mosque of the Prophet (or Prophet's Mosque) (Arabic: المسجد النبوي‎ [IPA /mæsʤıd ænːæbæwiː]), in Medina, is the second holiest mosque in Islam and the second largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram in MAKKAH. It is the final resting place of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The mosque is considered the second holiest mosque by both Shia and Sunni while the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is the third holiest.
One of the most notable features of the site is the Green Dome over the center of the mosque, where the tomb of Muhammad is located. It is not exactly known when the green dome was constructed but manuscripsts dating to the early 12th century describe the dome. It is known as the Dome of the Prophet or the Green Dome.[1] Subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated it. Early Muslim leaders Abu Bakr and Umar are buried in an adjacent area in the mosque.
The site was originally Muhammad's house; he settled there after his Hijra (emigration) to Medina, later building a mosque on the grounds. He himself shared in the heavy work of construction. The original mosque was an open-air building. The basic plan of the building has been adopted in the building of other mosques throughout the world.
The mosque also served as a community center, a court, and a religious school. There was a raised platform for the people who taught the Qur'an.

THE HOLY KABA (MAKKAH)

MAKKAH
MAKKAH IPA: /ˈmɛkə/, also spelled Makkah IPA: [ˈmækə], Arabic: مكةMakka (in full: Makka al-Mukarrama IPA: [(Arabic) mækːæ(t) ælmʊkarˑamæ]; Arabic: مكّة المكرمة‎, literally: Honored Mecca) is a city in Saudi Arabia. Home to the Masjid al-Haram, it is the holiest city in Islam and plays an important role in the faith. As of 2008 the annual Hajj pilgrimage attracts two to three million pilgrims to the city,[1][2] and presents both opportunities for the city's economy, and challenges for its infrastructure. Culturally, the city is modern, cosmopolitan and ethnically diverse.[3][4][5][6]
Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of MAKKAH to Ishmael's descendants. In the 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in the city, by then an important trading center, and the city played an important role in the early history of Islam. After 966, MAKKAH was led by local sharifs, until 1924, when it came under the rule of the Saudis.[7] In its modern period, MAKKAH has seen a great expansion in size and infrastructure.
The modern day city is located in and is the capital of Saudi Arabia's Makkah Province, in the historic Hejaz region. With a population of 1.7 million (2008), the city is located 73 km (45 mi) inland from Jeddah, in a narrow valley, and 277 m (910 ft) above sea level.