# Sharjah Mosque, the emirate's largest > Sharjah Mosque is the emirate's largest mosque: Ottoman-style, with room for 25,000 worshippers. It sits out of town in Al Tay, a 20–30 minute taxi ride from the centre. Entry is free, and non-Muslims can visit daily between prayers on a dedicated route. Allow 45 minutes; cover arms and legs, women need a headscarf. Web page: https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/sharjah-mosque - City: [Sharjah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah), United Arab Emirates - YesGo score: 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Opening hours: Daily; visitors between prayer times. No official visitor timetable published (verifying) - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free (unofficial) - Visitor hours: Daily between prayers; avoid Friday midday - Non-Muslims: Welcome — dedicated route and visitor hall - Dress code: Arms and legs covered, headscarf for women; abayas may be lent on site (unofficial) - Photos: Allowed; don't photograph people praying (unofficial) - Getting there: Taxi or car only: ≈ 20–30 min from central Sharjah, no handy bus - Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour - Address: Emirates Road (E611) at the Mleiha Road junction, Al Tay - Coordinates: 25.24083, 55.57028 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **25,000** — worshippers — the largest mosque in the Emirate of Sharjah (source: Visit Sharjah; Khaleej Times; Gulf News (Al Ittihad gives 25,500)) - **2019** — opened in May by the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi (source: Khaleej Times; Al Ittihad; English Wikipedia) - **≈ 20 min** — drive from the city — the mosque is in Al Tay (source: Visit Sharjah; Gulf News) - **Ottoman style** — often compared with Istanbul's Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed) (source: Visit Sharjah (blog); English Wikipedia; The National) - **5,000+** — places in the prayer hall, 610 of them for women (source: Visit Sharjah; Al Ittihad; Gulf News) - **13,500** — in the outer courtyards, plus 6,000 in the portico and side arcades (source: Gulf News; Al Ittihad) - **≈ 186,000 m²** — (2 million sq ft) of mosque, gardens and facilities (source: Visit Sharjah; Khaleej Times) - **AED 300 million** — construction cost; work started in 2014 (source: Khaleej Times; Al Ittihad) - **2 minarets** — trimmed in blue, and a blue dome visible from afar (source: Visit Sharjah (blog); English Wikipedia) - **Museum & library** — of Islamic books, plus a hologram show and 3D model of the mosque (source: Khaleej Times; Al Ittihad) - **≈ 2,200** — parking spaces for cars and coaches (source: Khaleej Times; Al Ittihad (2,260)) ## 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. > **It's out of town — taxi or car only** Sharjah Mosque isn't in the old centre but at the Emirates Road–Mleiha Road junction, 20–30 minutes' drive away. We couldn't find a practical bus, and it isn't walkable. Budget for the ride both ways and sort out your return before you go: there are no taxis to flag down on the highway. ## 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. > **Sharjah Mosque dress code** Men and women both need arms and legs covered: long sleeves, trousers or a skirt below the knee. Women cover their hair; nothing tight or see-through. Unofficial sources say abayas and scarves may be lent on site, but bring your own to be safe. Shoes come off before the prayer hall — socks help. ## How to get to Sharjah Mosque 1. From the old centre — Al Hisn Fort and the Heart of Sharjah — take a **taxi** from Al Hisn Avenue or book one in an app. Ask for “Sharjah Mosque, Al Tay”; every driver knows it. 2. The ride takes **20–30 minutes** to the Emirates Road (E611) and Mleiha Road junction. Sharjah taxis run on the meter; not every car has a card reader, so carry some dirhams. Careem lets you pay by card in the app. 3. From Dubai, it's a 30–45 minute taxi ride without traffic (unofficial). At evening rush hour, leaving Dubai can take much longer. 4. The car parks are huge — over 2,200 spaces. Check the next prayer time so you aren't left waiting at the door. 5. For the return, book a car in the app before you finish, or ask your driver to wait — empty taxis rarely pass on the highway. ## 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](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/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](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/museum-of-islamic-civilization) and Al Noor Mosque by [Al Majaz Waterfront](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/al-majaz-waterfront) cover the same theme with no drive. ## Sharjah Mosque vs Al Noor Mosque vs King Faisal Mosque | | Sharjah Mosque | Al Noor Mosque | King Faisal Mosque | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Where | Out of town, Al Tay, ≈ 20–30 min by taxi | Khalid Lagoon corniche | Old centre, Al Soor | | Size | Up to 25,000 worshippers | Smaller than both | 16,000+ worshippers | | Style | Ottoman, opened 2019 | Inspired by the Blue Mosque | Opened 1987 | | For visitors | Own route between prayers | Free tours Mon and Thu from 10:00, no booking | We found no regular tours | | Best for | Scale, gardens, museum | A guide explaining Islam | Near the central souks | 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. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] It isn't Friday midday - [ ] Checked the next prayer time - [ ] Arms and legs covered; headscarf for women - [ ] Socks — shoes come off before the hall - [ ] Dirhams in cash or a taxi app with a card - [ ] Return ride sorted - [ ] Water — the courtyards are hot in summer ## Sharjah's places of worship compared Every place of worship in Sharjah rated by YesGo. - [Sharjah Mosque](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/sharjah-mosque) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free ## Islamic Sharjah in a day The big mosque in the morning, then the Museum of Islamic Civilization on the Corniche, the Blue Souk and an evening at Al Majaz Waterfront by Al Noor Mosque. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Sharjah Mosque](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/sharjah-mosque) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 2. [Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/museum-of-islamic-civilization) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · AED 10, children 2–12 AED 5 3. [Blue Souk (Central Souq)](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/blue-souk) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry 4. [Al Majaz Waterfront](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah/al-majaz-waterfront) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free > **Pair it with Mleiha** The mosque sits at the junction with the road to Mleiha — desert, rock formations and the archaeology centre. Stop at the mosque in the morning on your way out: one car covers half a day, and you only drive out of town once. ## Don't confuse it with Sharjah Mosque (2019) is not Al Noor Mosque — that one is smaller, on Khalid Lagoon in the city, and known for its tours for non-Muslims. Nor is it King Faisal Mosque in the old centre, the emirate's largest until 2019. Al Noor Island is a park in the lagoon, not a mosque. ## Tips - 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 ### What are Sharjah Mosque timings for visitors? It's open daily, and visitors come in between prayers. No official visitor timetable is published; avoid Friday midday. ### Can non-Muslims enter Sharjah Mosque? Yes. There is a dedicated route and visitor hall for non-Muslims. Come between prayers, dressed modestly. ### Is Sharjah Mosque free to enter? There's no ticket; entry is free according to unofficial sources. You only pay for the taxi. ### What is the Sharjah Mosque dress code? Arms and legs covered for everyone, nothing tight or see-through; women cover their hair. Shoes off before the hall. ### How do I get to Sharjah Mosque? By taxi or car: 20–30 minutes from central Sharjah, 30–45 minutes from Dubai. There's no handy bus; book your return ride in an app. ### How far is Sharjah Mosque from Dubai? Roughly 30–45 minutes by taxi without traffic (unofficial), longer at rush hour. ### Can you take photos inside Sharjah Mosque? Unofficially, yes — inside and out. Don't photograph people praying or anyone without asking. ### Is Sharjah Mosque the same as Al Noor Mosque? No. Al Noor is a smaller mosque on Khalid Lagoon in the city, with free tours on Mondays and Thursdays. Sharjah Mosque is out of town on Emirates Road. ### How long do you need at Sharjah Mosque? 45 minutes to an hour for the mosque and gardens, plus 40–60 minutes of taxi there and back from the centre. ## How we checked Capacity, dates, cost, area, style and facilities are checked against at least two sources: Visit Sharjah, Khaleej Times, Al Ittihad, Gulf News and Wikipedia. Capacity differs — most say 25,000, Al Ittihad 25,500 — so we show both. We found no official visitor hours: Gulf News in 2021 gave 4:30–6:00 and 11:40–21:00, Property Finder 3:00–23:00, so we only say “between prayers” and mark it “verifying”. Free entry, loaned abayas, photo rules and the drive time from Dubai come from unofficial sources. Only Arabic Wikipedia gives a minaret height (75 m), so we leave it out. We don't show a prayer-times block: our calculation uses the Turkish method, which doesn't fit the UAE. We found no closure of the mosque in 2026. ## Sources - Visit Sharjah (Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority): Sharjah Mosque page and the “Exploring Sharjah Mosque” blog - Khaleej Times, 12.05.2019 — opening, capacity, area, facilities - Al Ittihad, 11.05.2019 — opening, capacity by area, parking, entrances - Gulf News, 2021 — “Sharjah Mosque: the largest mosque in Sharjah” - English and Arabic Wikipedia: Sharjah Mosque; Wikidata Q64169975 - The National, 24.02.2026 — UAE mosques: Al Noor and King Faisal - Property Finder (January 2026) and TripXL — entry, dress, photos (unofficial) --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.