ISLAMABAD: Faisal Mosque, a major tourist attraction and a contemporary and influential piece of Islamic architecture, has made it to the top 50 most beautiful buildings in the world.
The fifth-largest mosque in the world has secured 16th place in the ranking. The largest mosque in South Asia is located near the majestic Margalla Hills in the federal capital. The original design of this mosque was selected after an international competition in which the Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay triumphed.
The iconic mosque comprised of 54,000 square feet, is a unique confluence of Islamic inspiration although it looks more of an interstellar spaceport. The mosque and its courtyard can hold at least 300,000 worshippers at a time.
The researchers have used the ‘Golden Ratio’ to evaluate the designs of the world’s most iconic structures with the help of an ancient arithmetical equation widely regarded as a ‘barometer of beauty’.
It is to be noted that it took around a decade to build this iconic mosque which has been named after late Saudi king Faisal who had financially assisted the whole project. The late Saudi ruler had granted $28 million for its construction which began in 1976.
Meanwhile, St Paul’s Cathedral of United Kingdom has been ranked the most beautiful building ever constructed followed by Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Westminster Abbey, Osaka Castle in Japan, and St Basil’s Cathedral of Russia.
