Masjid Rasool Al Azam Mosque

You’re standing in front of Masjid Rasool Al Azam Mosque, easy to recognise by its blue dome and slender minaret rising above the Muttrah corniche. Originally built in the 15th century and renovated several times, especially in the 90s, it is today one of the main Shia mosques in the Sultanate of Oman and the central place of worship for the Lawatiya merchant community, a Twelver Shia group. This branch of Islam remains a minority in the country, where most Omanis are Sunni or Ibadi Muslims. Located at the entrance to the souk and close to the fortified Sur al-Lawatiya quarter, the mosque reflects the important economic and cultural role this community has played in Muscat’s history. Its traditional Islamic architecture, with blue mosaics and Quranic inscriptions, expresses both the community’s prosperity and its religious identity. Access to the interior is reserved for Muslim worshippers, but from the outside you can observe everyday neighbourhood life, hear the call to prayer and, at certain times of the year, witness Shia religious ceremonies that reveal the religious diversity of Oman.