Monday 13 May 2024 (UAE)
Coronavirus in the UAE: Some information on this website is out of date as a result of measures taken in the UAE to deal with the coronavirus crisis. Confirm with official or authoritative sources.
Jumeirah Mosque
Jumeirah Mosque (Jumeira Mosque) is a mosque in the Jumeirah 1 area of Dubai, on Jumeirah Beach Road opposite the Palm Strip Shopping Center. One of a few mosques in the UAE which are open to for non-Muslims to visit, including women and children. Members of the public can visit by joing a guided tour.
- Construction from 1975 to 1978, official opening in November 1979.
- Building is based on the Islamic Fatimid style (909-1171 AD).
- Inside capacity 1,200 - 1,300 people.
- Featured on the UAE 500 dirham banknote.
Guided tours of Jumeirah Mosque
- Exterior of mosque can be visited, viewed and photographed at pretty much any time, day or night. But it would be polite not to during prayer and sermon times.
- Guided tours are operated by The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) (based in Bastakiya) as part of their Open Doors, Open Minds program.
- Non-Muslims can visit for guided tours of the exterior and interior. Tours are on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Arrive at 0945 to register (prior booking not required), tours start about 1000 (10am) or shortly after, tour length about 1 hr - 90 minutes. There's a fee of 10 dhs (or was - no information on the SMCCU website when last checked).
- The inside part of the tour is mostly sitting inside the mosque with a question and answer session hosted by the tour guide. Interesting especially for those who want to know more about Islam, but you don't spend much time walking around the mosque. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is much more spectacular inside, and you are able to walk around at your leisure.
- Dress appropriately (long trousers/skirts, scarf for women), but if you forget, they have appropriate scarves etc to make you respectable. Dress code in Dubai - more information about what to wear in Dubai generally.
- Photography is permitted (inside and outside).
- Children under 5 cannot take part in the tour.
Photographing Jumeirah Mosque
- A popular subject for photographs.
- Best times (as with almost any outdoor photography) are very early morning just after sunrise - Friday is best to avoid busy traffic, and evenings just before sunset but traffic is always busy then.
- If you have a tripod (or a very steady hand), night time photos can turn out pretty good with the lighting effects used by the mosque. Don't use your flash.
- Across the road is the Palm Strip Shopping Mall which has an outdoor sort of terrace area on the first floor which provides a good vantage point but there's some interference from infrastructure between you and the mosque which is not easily moved (road, fence, trees, etc). Give your photos to someone handy with Photoshop to remove the bits you don't want.