Sharjah Mosque, the emirate's largest

Sharjah Mosque timings for visitors

The mosque is open every day, and visitors walk in between prayers — during each prayer the hall belongs to worshippers. There is no published visitor timetable: guides quote anything from 3:00–23:00 to two short windows a day, so treat any exact hours you see as a guess. Mornings and late afternoons on weekdays are the safe bet.

Avoid Friday around midday, when the congregational prayer fills the building and courtyards. Prayer times shift a little every day; check them in any app set to the UAE calculation before you leave. During Ramadan the mosque's routine changes and evenings get busy.

Can non-Muslims visit Sharjah Mosque?

Yes. The mosque was designed with non-Muslim visitors in mind and has a dedicated route and visitor hall, as both Visit Sharjah and the local papers reported at the opening. There's no ticket — entry is free, according to unofficial sources — so the only cost is your taxi.

We found no scheduled tours here like the ones at Al Noor Mosque. You can walk around on your own between prayers; if you'd like a guide's commentary, a Sharjah city tour with a car solves both the explanation and the transport.

What to see

• The main portico with its white marble columns — the classic view and the best photo.
• The prayer hall: arched stained-glass windows, Quranic calligraphy, a huge central chandelier and deep red carpet.
• The blue dome and twin minarets, rising over open ground as you drive in.
• Gardens with fountains and cascades in front of the mosque, and the wide outer courtyards.
• The museum and collection hall — books and objects from different Islamic eras, a hologram show and a 3D model of the mosque.
• The Islamic library and gift shop, with a cafeteria for a break from the heat.

Is Sharjah Mosque worth visiting?

Yes, if you aren't going to Abu Dhabi or simply love architecture: it's one of the UAE's biggest mosques, open to visitors with no ticket and no crowds. The white portico, gardens and vast hall are genuinely impressive, and the road to Mleiha passes right by.

Skip it if you have half a day in Sharjah without a car: 40–60 minutes of taxi there and back eats half your time. Stay central instead — the Museum of Islamic Civilization and Al Noor Mosque by Al Majaz Waterfront cover the same theme with no drive.

Sharjah Mosque vs Al Noor Mosque vs King Faisal Mosque

Want scale and calm — drive out to Sharjah Mosque. Want a guided tour without the drive — pick Al Noor on a Monday or Thursday.

A short history

Work began in 2014, and the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, opened the mosque in May 2019, in the first days of Ramadan. It cost AED 300 million and took over King Faisal Mosque's title as the emirate's largest.

The design follows classical Ottoman lines — central dome, colonnades and two slender minarets — on a 2-million-square-foot site with gardens, a library, a museum and a rubber walking track around the walls. Residents often just call it Sharjah Masjid.

How to do it right

• Arrive just after a prayer ends — you'll have plenty of time to see the hall before the next one.
• The best photo is from the fountains in front of the portico, with the columns, dome and both minarets in frame.
• Bring a scarf and light long sleeves from your hotel rather than relying on loaners.
• Heading to Mleiha? Stop here on the way — it's at the same junction.
• Kids have room to roam in the gardens and on the walking track; just keep voices low in the hall.
• In summer, come in the morning — by noon the courtyard stone is scorching.

Questions