The Grand Mosque of Kuwait

From the Grand Mosque of Kuwait entry in Wikipedia:

The Grand Mosque is the largest and the official mosque in the country of Kuwait. Its area spans 45,000 m² (484,400 square feet), out of which the building itself covers 20,000 m² (215,000 square feet). The main prayer hall is 72 m (236 ft) wide on all sides, has teakwood doors, and has lighting provided by 144 windows.

The dome of the mosque is 26 m (85 ft) in diameter and 43 m (141 ft) high, and is decorated with the Asma al-Husna, the 99 names of God. The mosque can accommodate up to 10,000 men in the main prayer hall, and up to 950 women in the separate hall for women. The mosque also contains a 350 m² (3,770 square feet) library of Islamic reference books and documents. To accommodate the large number of vehicles belonging to worshippers, the mosque also contains a 5-level car park underneath the eastern courtyard which can hold up to 550 cars. Construction on the mosque started in 1979, and the mosque was completed in 1986, first of Shawwaal in 1407, or Eid ul-Fitr. The mosque's minaret, located at the northwest corner, resembles Andalusian architecture.

From the Mihrab entry in Wikipedia:

The mihrab is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a mihrab appears is thus the "qibla wall".

The mihrab should not be confused with the minbar, which is the raised platform from which an Imam (leader of prayer) addresses the congregation. The mihrab is located to the left of the minbar.

All pictures are © Dr. Günther Eichhorn, unless otherwise noted.