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PUTTING THE GRAND IN OMAN'S SULTAN QABOOS GRAND MOSQUE
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We
used to have the world's largest carpet, but then the Emiratis came
when they were building the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, measured
ours, and now they have the title. We also used to have the world's
largest chandelier, but then the Qataris came, measured ours, and stole
that from us too.
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The
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque may have to settle for second when it comes
to carpets and chandeliers, but it certainly doesn't make the place any
less stunning.
Located along a stretch of the Sultan Qaboos Highway (a lot of stuff is
named for His Majesty in this town), the mosque is Muscat's premiere
tourist attraction. It's also the only mosque in Oman that allows
non-Muslims to visit.
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One
of the main attractions here is the former Guinness world record holder
of Largest Chandelier in the World - the 14 metre, 8 and 1/2 ton
behemoth that dangles from the centre of the men's prayer hall.With more
than 600,000 STRASS Swarovski crystals (it's the finest crystal on the
planet), over a thousand halogen bulbs, and 24 karat gold plating on the
metal bits, the chandelier took 4 years to complete.Sixteen smaller
chandeliers throughout the men's prayer hall complement the main
attraction.
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The
carpet here is also an achievement in itself. It took 600 Iranian women
4 years to make, and is still the second largest hand-woven rug in the
world. Those pesky Emiratis stole that crown too, so please do drop by
and bid the ladies your condolences if you're ever backpacking Iran.
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