For anyone with faith, contributing to the construction of any architectural project is one thing, but being part of building a place of worship is another. The dedication and commitment among the entire team behind the Golden Mosque (Badriya Nasser Al-Jiean Mosque), particularly during such a challenging time for the world, were noteworthy to Mohamed Amr, the Egyptian-Turkish designer of the mosque.

“Everyone involved in building this mosque, regardless of their religion or nationality, worked with devotion and love,” said Amr. “Even non-Muslim workers, including Christians and Hindus, contributed with equal enthusiasm. They all shared the common goal of delivering the best possible outcome for this project.”

Inaugurated in 2021, the mosque’s construction was inevitably influenced by the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, especially since the construction process included numerous trips between Turkey and Kuwait. “We aimed to import all the materials from Turkey to ensure that everything — from the structure to the design — aligned perfectly and reflected the Ottoman style,” Amr said.

A door of the mosque adorned with carvings.

The chandelier of the main prayer hall.

Side view of the minbar, decorated with wooden arabesque geometrical patterns.

The vast interior of the Golden Mosque is adorned with carvings, calligraphy and other embellishments.

Mohamed Amr

Home for almost a year

They even brought in 75 workers from Turkey for the finishing phase, but soon after, a lockdown was enforced. “With no other options, we built a fence around the mosque and housed the workers onsite for the duration of the project,” Amr said. “They were incredibly understanding, leaving their families behind to live within the mosque for almost a year.”

In another incident, while adding the final touches to the domes of the mosque, they realized that a special tool was missing from Turkey, which they couldn’t import by plane due to the lockdown. As a solution, one of the building technicians took it upon himself to drive for seven days to bring the tool from Turkey to Kuwait. “It’s one of the emotional incidents that none of us will forget,” said Amr.

Going the extra mile, as Amr noted, was also evident while trying to adapt Turkish architectural elements to align with Kuwaiti culture and its unique environment. Starting from the exterior design, they used earthy colors to match the nature of the climate in Kuwait. The earthy stone was also used to help maintain a clean appearance for the mosque without the need for constant cleaning.

A serene corner of the mosque with tall vitrail stained-glass windows filtering soft sunlight.

Carved wooden entrance door of the mosque.

Colorful decorated marble wall with engraved mihrab.

Decorated ceiling of the mosque.

Bridging two worlds

In contrast to traditional Ottoman design, where the women’s prayer area is not separated from the men’s, Amr and the team adapted the design to fit Kuwaiti cultural expectations. They blended both worlds by placing the women’s prayer area on the upper floor, offering a view of the men’s prayer area while ensuring that men cannot see the women from a distance.

They also added a diwaniya, popular in Kuwaiti culture, where the imam can communicate with worshippers, answer their questions or teach students the Holy Quran in a designated space without disturbing other worshippers.

For the windows, they opted for stained glass made from vitrail, which is both fragile and sensitive to heat. To ensure it could withstand Kuwait’s high temperatures and the pressure from air conditioning, they designed three layers — the outer layer reflects sunlight, while the inner layer is transparent, allowing a view of the decorative glass in the middle.

A standout feature of the mosque, according to Amr, is the large dome, along with 15 smaller domes and four minarets, entirely coated in golden titanium, reflecting sunlight during the day and illuminating beautifully at night. “This is the first time golden titanium has been used in a mosque’s design in this manner, adding a unique touch to the project,” Amr said.

The stone used in the mosque’s construction, known as travertine, presented its own challenges. “Shaping this stone was particularly difficult, especially for the four minarets, which feature intricate architectural details,” Amr added. Regarding architectural inspiration, Amr said that the design itself was drawn from popular Ottoman mosques such as the Suleymaniye and the Sultan Ahmed Mosques in Turkey, both crafted by what he referred to as “the legend of Ottoman architecture”, architect Sinan.