Muslim's Prayer Rooms Around the World

Riyadh Airport - Prayer Room

2010-11-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

Two years after my first picture of Riyadh Airport prayer room in this Blog, it seems that they have made some improvement.

The prayer area remains the same but the authority has added partition that supposedly bring more privacy for the prayers.
A small cabinet to store footwear is also added next to the partition.

(Picture taken Nov 2, 2010)

Inside Public Bus, Dubai UAE

2008-12-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

Contributed by: Zaki Umara, Dubai

A public bus driver perform his shalat inside his vacant bus prior to his departure time.

We wish him a safe and pleasant journey serving the passengers.

Public bus in Dubai regulated and operated by Road Transport Authority (RTA). There are too many accidents on Dubai road, so praying before the trip will definitely help in promoting road safety.

This is probably the fastest portable Prayer Room so far that moves on the ground.

Photo taken in Dubai on 24 Dec 2008.

National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

2008-12-05T10:06:00.001-08:00

Contributed by: Adinda Presanti

This prayer area is located at National University of Singapore, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Level 6, staircase landing (emergency exit). NUS Muslim Society has advocated to get permission to use about 20 spots in campus, mostly staircase landings, to be occupied as prayer areas.

Since space is limited, some prayer spots are for muslimah only, some are for muslimin only, and 1-2 areas are large enough to support both. Ablution is done in the nearest toilets. The prayer area in the pictures can support only 2 people and so sometimes the jamaah have to queue.

Despite the modest condition, this prayer area has tranquil view of greenery and the wind helps making the ambiance especially peaceful during hectic lecture schedules.

Pictures taken 19 April 2008 (c) Adinda Presanti

Ibn Batuta Mall, Dubai, UAE

2008-12-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

Ibn Battuta Mall is the world’s largest themed shopping mall. It spreads over 1.3km length divided into 6 courts (sections) representing different themes .

There is only one proper prayer room in this mall, which is large enough to be called a small masjid (mosque). The prayer room located in India Court which is situated around 1km from the far end of the mall (Andalusia Court) and 300m from the near end (China Court). It's nearby the Mall Management Office and you have to take elevator or stairs to 1st floor to find it.

I believe the prayer room can take more than 100 persons. There is even a regular imaam or prayer leader in this place. Unfortunately this place does not host Friday prayer. So mall visitors and employees have to go to mosques few kilometers outside the mall.

There's a special place for ablution (wudu) which is separated from toilet area on the way to the prayer room. There are special racks to place your footwear too.

Because the location of this prayer room is too far from the other end of the mall (Andalusia court) and there's no other prayer room in this huge mall, the employees who work around Andalusia, Tunisia and Egypt court prefer to do their prayer on the corner like this. I have seen some visitors also perform their prayer on the same place.

Pictures taken on 1st December 2008.

Building 1, Dubai Internet City, Dubai, UAE

2008-11-30T05:04:00.000-08:00

Dubai Internet City (DIC) and the neighbouring Media City and Knowledge Village are one of the most advanced Free Trade Zone complex in UAE and a workplace for more than 12,000 people.

The prayer-room above is located in the 2nd floor of Building 1 which is obviously one of the oldest buildings here but it is very well maintained. The prayer-room is built on the underuntilized corridor and divided into Male and Female section separated by wooden partition. The male section can fit around 20 people and female section capacity probably only half of it. There's a digital wall clock with built-in prayer schedule that calculated according to Dubai time. It will automatically announce the azan each time the time for prayer comes. There are some Quran books available for reading too.

Unfortunately the building management have not provide special wash room for taking the ablution/wudu so prayers have to do the wudu on the nearby toilet. It is challenging to wash your feet on the washing basin while keeping the body balance on the slippery floor. I believe if the management can afford to build special toilet for disables (whom we never seen using it so far), they should be able to afford providing proper ablution place for prayers too. The prayer room is always full of people right after azan announced.

All pictures taken in November 2008.

T1 Soekarno Hatta Airport CGK - Jakarta, Indonesia

2008-11-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

This information is taken from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=28073764&postcount=463
Although Indonesia is not a muslim country but it is the most muslim populous country in the world with around 80% muslims out of it's 350 million population.

The prayer room located nearby DAMRI bus stop on Terminal 1A

The prayer room is located around Terminal 1A Soekarno Hatta International Airport. According to the forum above, there are more similar prayer-rooms still in progress around Terminal 1B and 1C.

Inside the prater room is nice and cozy, the all year round Jakarta's hot tropical weather is compensated with Air Conditioner. Please click here for more pictures of this prayer room and it's facility.

Bangkok Airport, Thailand

2008-11-26T21:25:00.001-08:00

This sign is located outside Muslim prayer-room in Bangkok Airport, Thailand. Muslims are considered minority in this mostly Budhist populated country, but the authority provide great service for the Muslims here.

Picture taken by Lee Carruthers on June 5, 2004. Original pictures can be found at his flickr site.

Aboard Boeing 777 Saudi Arabian Airlines

2008-11-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

This is probably the top of the prayer rooms so far, literally. It was the first time for me to experience such prayer room inside an airplane where we can perform our prayer just the way we usually do on the ground.

To assist you finding the right praying direction, there's a small LCD screen on the wall indicating the plane route and current location. Hence you can determine the praying direction (qibla). There's also railing on the wall which I guess the prayers can hold onto in case there's sudden turbulence.

The prayer room is located in the rear side of the plane. Basically they removed three middle rows of economic class passenger seats to provide 3x2 meter space. Although the sign read that the area can fit 10 people, but practically it's only good for up to 5 persons praying together (1 imaam, 4 ma'mum).

During that journey I have seen more than 6 persons using the facility in separate timing, including myself and one of the female flight attendants. I've told that most Saudi Arabian aircraft have such prayer room onboard. It seems they don't mind loosing some seat capacity to gain more blessing :)

All pictures taken on 23 November 2008.

Riyadh Airport, Saudi Arabia

2008-11-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia, which also considered as the central spot of Islam religion. It's really surprising to find that the male prayer room in the boarding area Riyadh International Airport is no more than just a small section, carpeted corridor side.

Prayer Room (corner?) in Riyadh International Airport

It's even more surprising to find that the ablution (wudu) area is located inside the men's rest room, just next to the toilets. There are only four water taps for ablution found in this place.

Ablution area, just next to toilets

I just wonder, if they can afford to spare space for this huge fountain just next to the prayer corner why couldn't they build a more decent prayer room? Note how big is the fountain by comparing it's size to the man walking at the upper background.

Riyadh Airport Huge Fountain

All pictures taken on 23-November-2008

Update: it has been 'upgraded' in 2010, see this post.

Muslim Prayer Rooms created

2008-11-25T06:56:00.000-08:00

Bismillahirahmanirrahim,

In the name of Allah the most compassionate the most merciful.

This blog is created to share the information about prayer rooms around the world.

Insha Allah it will bring benefits to all who read it.

If you want to make any contribution, please feel free to leave your comment below.

Dubai, 25 Nov 2008.