After seeing the Grand Mosque of Dubai, being definitely the most dominant mosques not only in Dubai but also in the whole Emirates, the next mosque you should definitely stop by is the famous Jumeirah Mosque. It is situated in the Jumeirah district, just by the sea. Jumeirah is one the wealthiest district of Dubai.
Interestingly, the Jumeirah Mosque is not named after a person or a family of high importance but after the Jumeirah area, which is the name of the medieval area where now, we find the Emirates, and most importantly Dubai. Initially, anglers and pearl divers lived in this area, but then it has become one of the first areas, where people from other countries have started to live, and also they started to teach their culture to the local people, which later meant the creation of a flourishing merchandising area in the Jumeirah region.
Originally, if we take the two most important mosques of Dubai, the Grand Mosque and the Jumeirah Mosque, it is the Jumeirah Mosque, which is the older of the two. Built in medieval Muslim style, out of stone, the Jumeirah Mosque is really a beautiful, dominant white building. Although it is the older of the two dominant mosques, the Jumeirah Mosque also had some restorations, so now it contains some modern architectural elements as well.
The Jumeirah Mosque is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture. A beautiful white composed building, having two minarets in the front yard, and enough place for around 800 Muslims to pray. The area divides into two for either sex. This means there are two entrances for men and women far from each other with the separate washing area for the “wudu” ritual, which every Muslim have to do, before the prayer.
As every mosque, the Jumeirah Mosque too has the most important wall, called “Quibla” facing Mecca, which is the centre of the Muslim religion and to which direction all Muslims must turn, when they pray.
Jumeirah Mosque is one of the very few mosques, where all tourists, including those who are not Muslims, can gain entrance. There are guided tours, specifically for tourists, where they can see the praying and washing areas, together with the beautiful inside of the Jumeirah Mosque. Another unique exception as many might know, in the Muslim culture, it is not allowed to take photographs at all, especially is hard to take photos in the interior of the mosque, but here is the choice to take it, as during the guided tours in the Jumeirah Mosque, it is allowed to take photographs from the inside!
Therefore, overall the Jumeirah Mosque is definitely a must-see historical attraction when in Dubai, as it is one of the most elegant mosques in the Emirates. The Jumeirah Mosque is open every weekdays and Saturday. If you want to visit the mosque, then you can also ask for information at your hotel, the staff will for sure help you about how to attend a tour. It is really worth the 10 DHs tour fee!
