Tuesday, March 12, 2013

symmetry and mathematics



The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is one of the most impressive mosques I have ever seen— from the outside, at least. Visiting hours for non-Muslims are between 8:30 and 11:00 am, every day except Friday. Sadly, we arrived too late to see the inside, but were allowed to sketch the facade from one of the courtyards— which was an enormous challenge. Architectural sketching is not my forté. Drawing this symmetrical and mathematically perfect work of art, was... difficult. I'll post my attempt soon, along with some other sketches.

The mosque covers a staggering 416,000 square metres, and can hold up to 20,000 people— something hard to fathom. While I can continue to toss numbers at you, I'd rather share what I think is the most wonderful thing about the Grand Mosque: the details. Have a look:



Isn't it gorgeous?

2 comments:

Sylvie Bargain said...

magnifique, ça donne envie !

szaza said...

It is an amazing place— so beautiful!