Taipei Grand Mosque Introduction
Walking along Xinsheng South Road, you will definitely see a unique building featuring a 15-meter-high dome. Everyone passing by can't help but turn their heads to take a closer look; this is Taipei Grand Mosque. The mosque serves as a place of worship for Islam (the Islamic faith). The Taipei Grand Mosque covers an area of 2,747 square meters and was completed on April 13, 1960, funded by a joint initiative between Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. The architectural designer is the renowned architect Yang Cho-cheng, who also designed the Grand Hotel Taipei. Its main structure utilizes reinforced concrete beams and columns, with the exterior walls reinforced brick covered with fine concrete and mosaic patterned decorations. The circular stone columns are processed by cutting stones, and the main doors and windows are designed to be large and floor-to-ceiling. Another significant feature is that the dome inside the main hall is 15 meters high and spans 15 meters without any supporting columns. Inside the hall, handcrafted Persian wool carpets gifted by foreign kings are laid out, and palace chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The two minarets on the outside rise over 20 meters high, making the building magnificent and grand. For over 40 years, kings, presidents, and various leaders from Islamic nations have made visits to the mosque as an important part of their itinerary, effectively serving its function in international diplomacy and civil exchange. Visitors to the mosque should observe proper etiquette; entry to the main prayer hall and the women's prayer hall on the second floor is restricted to Muslims only.
