The King Abdulaziz Mosque is one of the most famous attractions in this city. It is located 4 km from the center of Marbella on the road that connects the city with Puerto Banús, a fashionable port and the most famous port for yachts and luxury boats. It is of great importance since it is one of the first mosques built in our time (1981) in Spain. Financed by Saudi Arabia, it has a capacity of more than 800 people. It is home to the Imams' dwellings, a library, and beautiful gardens.
Marbella was an ancient Andalusian city, which has now become the most fashionable tourist center not only on the entire Costa del Sol, but also in all of Spain. The settlement here existed in Roman times. Here the remains of an Arab fortress, built in the 9th-10th centuries, have been preserved.
The mosque is a living testimony of Marbella's close relationship with the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia. It was first established by King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, who died in 2005. Marbella houses the residence of the Saudi kings, with an area of 20 hectares. King Fahd's visits brought great benefits to the city, so the mayor of Marbella, Marisol Yaguye, officially declared mourning for three days after his death and the city council approved a decree declaring King Fahd "adoptive son of the municipality" .
The Marbella mosque was started by Salman ibn Abdul-Aziz, who was still a prince then. It was inaugurated on July 31, 1981, the first mosque in Spain built here since the Caliphate of Córdoba.
The architecture of the building is an example of Andalusian inspired modern Arab architecture. The mosque has separate areas for men and women, and a beautiful azán sounds five times a day from its minaret, calling believers to prayer.
The main hall of the mosque is decorated in a discreet color scheme, on both sides of the mihrab there are laconic minbars decorated with natural stone. Hanging from the ceiling is a 500kg bronze candlestick with 130 lamps. It is an original Hijra product from the 2nd century made by an Andalusian artisan in Fez, Morocco.
The magnificent library of the mosque deserves a separate word. Thanks to this, today the mosque is not only a place of worship, but also a center for Islamic studies. The library covers an area of 225 square meters and contains more than thirty thousand books, mainly on the subject of Islam, Andalusian Arab literature, history and civilization from the time of the Cordoba caliphate. Numerous students and researchers come to the library looking for information for graduation papers and research studies.
Address: s 29602, Urb. Lomas Marbella-S, 18, 29602 Marbella, Málaga, Spain
