The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) in Abu Dhabi received 3,334,757 visitors in the first half of 2023, a 127 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Visitors included 914,195 worshippers, and some 2,388,437 tourists, of which 1,684,409 visited the mosque and 704,028 to the mosque's visitor centre and market.
International visitors accounted for 81 per cent of the total, reflecting the mosque’s significant status as one of the world's top tourist attractions.
The mosque was ranked first in the region and fourth in the Top Attractions subcategory of TripAdvisor's Travellers Choice Awards for 2022: the Best of the Best Destinations' list.
It also came in ninth globally in the awards' Top Cultural & Historical Tours subcategory.
The mosque also enhanced its cultural role by showcasing Islamic culture and introducing visitors to local cultural heritage, through a range of religious and cultural programmes, which attracted more than 1,365 visitors during H1, including the Jusoor programme, and several others.
And on April 21, the mosque witnessed the highest number of worshippers recorded in a single day, with a total of 63,919 individuals performing prayers.
Regarding visitors’ countries of origin, India ranked first with 393,566, followed by Russia with 130,023, China with 99,277, the US with 92,364, Germany with 76,857, Italy with 61,330, France with 53,996, Israel with 53,974, Pakistan with 47,640 and the UK with 45,790 visitors.
During the Holy Month of Ramadan 1444 A.H., the centre witnessed an unprecedented influx of worshippers and tourists with a total of 852,714 visitors.
The number of worshippers who performed prayers at the mosque during Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr reached 452,047, including 122,449 for the evening and Taraweeh prayers and 180,896 for Tahajjud prayers.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre receives over 3.3 million visitors in H1 2023#WamNews https://t.co/34V2c8S548 pic.twitter.com/OLyXw8uIQL
— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) July 14, 2023
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