Adjacent to the Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, there stands the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque of Muslims, also referred to as the Blue Mosque. The construction process of the mosque commenced in 2002 with the donation from Rafic Hariri, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, and accomplished in 2008. By that time, however, Rafic Hariri had been assassinated and was therefore unable to witness the opening of the mosque.
Being a famous landmark in Beirut, the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque is one of the most spectacular mosques in the Middle East. The built area covers 11,000 square metres, a blue dome of 48m tall, and four minarets of 65m tall surrounding the dome. The design of the blue dome is based on that of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.
The city’s major landmark, this huge, striking amber-coloured blue-domed mosque near Martyrs Sq was opened in 2008 and has four minarets standing 65m high. Slain former prime minister Rafic Hariri was instrumental in the project and is buried here.
