SURAKARTA, Indonesia: UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed has inaugurated the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo during a ceremony on Monday.
The mosque is a replica of the popular landmark in Abu Dhabi, named after the UAE’s late President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan.
“The architecture includes some traditional Indonesian designs. Local materials in Indonesia were used in the making of the mosque, which accommodates 10,000 worshipers,” read a statement on the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The new mosque in Solo, gifted by the UAE leader during his visit to the G20 Summit in Bali, has 56 domes, 4 minarets, and 32 pillars in the main prayer area, according to WAM.
Mohamed bin Zayed tweeted, “Named in honour of the UAE’s Founding Father, the Mosque represents his values of peace and goodwill, reflecting the longstanding ties that exist between our two countries.”
I was pleased to join President Joko Widodo in Solo, Indonesia to inaugurate the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Named in honour of the UAE’s Founding Father, the Mosque represents his values of peace and goodwill, reflecting the longstanding ties that exist between our two countries. pic.twitter.com/lIMQHE0TdS
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) November 14, 2022
Joko Widodo said the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo “will become a place of prayer, a center for Islamic studies, and the center of a religious tourism destination.
He thanked the UAE for the “exceptional monument” that reflected the deeply-rooted relations and common values between both countries.
Abu Dhabi punya The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Di Solo kini juga berdiri Masjid Raya Sheikh Zayed yang dibangun sebagai hadiah dari Presiden Persatuan Emirat Arab Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ).
Hari ini, Presiden MBZ datang untuk menghadiri peresmian masjid di Solo itu. pic.twitter.com/UWkVG24I1o
— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) November 14, 2022
The inauguration ceremony was attended by delegates and senior officials from both countries.
Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, opened in 2007, is one of the world’s largest mosques and an architectural icon that combines Islamic architecture and design. It is also a major tourist destination in the capital.
