A place of worship: when Jumeirah Mosque was being built in 1977

The architecture of the white-stone building, which can hold up to 1,200 people, is representative of traditional Fatimid style

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 01:  Illustration : Dubai in United Arab Emirates in October, 1977 - Mosque in construction.  (Photo by Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
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This photo of the construction of Jumeirah Mosque was taken in October 1977, two years before it officially opened to worshippers. The architecture of the white-stone building, which can hold up to 1,200 people, is representative of traditional Fatimid style – harking back to the days of the Fatimid Caliphate, born in and around Syria and Egypt many centuries ago – with two minarets around a large central dome.

Today, it is one of the most famous mosques in Dubai and an integral part of the tours run by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, as it is only one of two in the emirate that are open to non-Muslims.

Visit the SMCCU majlis nearby to sign up for a tour, and enjoy a light breakfast with Arabian-style coffee. A guide will then take visitors to the fountain by the mosque, where the Wudu, the process of cleansing before prayers, will be demonstrated and explained, before guests are led inside. A tour costs Dh25 per person and takes place daily between 10am and 2pm, except for Fridays.