Sacred scriptures and geometries envelop a mosque in Dubai

Formal rigour, measured design of spaces and refined control of natural light in the mosque designed by Dabbagh Architects in Dubai take the observant from the outside world to the inner space of prayer.

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Ground Floor Plan

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Section

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Site Plan

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 South Elevation

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021 Bay Elevation

Along a busy street in the Al Quoz industrial area in southern Dubai, stands a new white stone mosque designed by Dabbagh Architects founder Sumaya Dabbagh. The Mosque of Light is one of the first places of worship in the United Arab Emirates to be designed by a female architect.

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

The architects' merit was that they were able to interpret the spaces of the mosque in relation to Islamic liturgical rites - from ablution to undressing to reading the Koran - gently leading the observant from the chaos of the city to the meditative practice of prayer in a gradual transition through sacred architecture. The volume of the mosque is separated into two bodies by a covered linear courtyard: on one side the prayer space surmounted by a double dome, with the women's prayer area on the first floor, and on the other the service block containing the ablution facilities, the Imam and the Moazen’s residence. The tower of the minaret stands out, separated from the main volume and signalling the presence of the mosque.

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

The surface of the building is entirely perforated with triangular geometries and sacred scriptures that diffuse natural light into the worship areas with delicate control and care to create a soft, naturally lit prayer space and an atmosphere of connection with the divine as well as contributing to the natural cooling of the mosque.

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021
  • The Mosque of Light
  • Mosque
  • Dabbagh Architects
  • Sumaya Dabbagh, Sandrine Quoilin, Aleks Zigalovs, Hana Younes, William Java
  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • Orient Crown Architectural
  • 2021
The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Photo Dabbagh Architects

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Ground Floor Plan

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Section

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Site Plan

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

South Elevation

The Mosque of Light, Dabbagh Architects, Dubai, 2021

Bay Elevation