Faisal Mosque - fountain area

1. The largest mosque in Pakistan, the Faisal Mosque was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993, when it was overtaken by mosques in MENA region. Faisal Mosque is now the fourth largest mosque in terms of capacity. 2. The motivation for the mosque began in 1966 when King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz supported the initiative of the Pakistani Government to build a national mosque in Islamabad. 3. In 1969, an international competition was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. The winning design was that of Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay. 4. Specs: i). Architect/Design: Vedat Dalokay, ii). Completed in 1986, iii). Cost: 120 million Usd, iv). Capacity: 10,000 in Main Hall, 40,000 in Courtyard & 200,000 in its adjoining grounds, v). Minarets 4, Height 90 meters / 296 ft, vi). Area: 54,000 square ft. 5. It is located on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Islamabad. 6. The mosque features a contemporary design consisting of eight sides of concrete shell and is inspired by a Bedouin tent. 7. Combined the structure covers an area of 54,000 square ft, the mosque dominates the landscape of Islamabad.