The Carpet

The main prayer hall houses the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet, by Guinness World Records in 2007. The intricate Islamic medallion carpet was hand-knotted by approximately 1,200 artisans and took around 2 years, including 8 months of designing and 12 months of knotting. The rest of the time was spent weaving the pieces together.

It was made in nine separate pieces, flown to Abu Dhabi, and stitched together on-site. The final carpet, which fills the entire Main Prayer Hall, is 5,400 square meters, weighs 35 tons, of which about 70% is made of New Zealand wool and 30% of cotton.

Also, one of the unique features included in the carpet manufacturing is the raised divisions that are not seams. These ridges indicate lines (prayer lines) where worshippers should stand to pray. The indication lines are separate from the design, although worshippers can easily identify the lines in which to stand when the prayers commence. The lines were made by shaving the carpet and leaving those lines elevated, so they decreased the thickness of the carpet to show the 32 elevated lines in the main prayer hall. The design features Islamic and floral designs, with most of the medallions located under the chandeliers as a reflection of them on the carpet.

For example, look up at one of the chandeliers. See how the circular arabesque design comes to a central point. There, crystals hang like droplets of color, ready to splash onto the medallion design of the carpet below. Throughout the Mosque, you will find a design relationship among the chandeliers, carpet, wall elevations, and glasswork.