 the faisal mosque () is the largest mosque in pakistan, located in the national capital city of islamabad. completed in 1986, it was designed by turkish architect vedat dalokay, shaped like a desert bedouin's tent, is an iconic symbol of islamabad throughout the world. it is situated at the north end of faisal avenue, putting it at the northernmost end of the city and at the foot of margalla hills, the westernmost foothills of the himalayas. it is located on an elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the margalla hills. this enviable location represents the mosque's great importance and allows it to be seen from miles around day and night. the faisal mosque was conceived as the national mosque of pakistan and named after the late king faisal bin abdul-aziz of saudi arabia, who supported and financed the project. the largest mosque in south asia, the faisal mosque was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993, when it was overtaken in size by the newly completed hassan ii mosque in casablanca, morocco. subsequent expansions of the masjid al-haram (grand mosque) of mecca and the al-masjid al-nabawi (prophet's mosque) in medina, saudi arabia, during the 1990s relegated faisal mosque to fourth place in terms of size. ==history== thumb|left|shah faisal masjid from half way up hill the impetus for the mosque began in 1966 when king faisal bin abdul-aziz supported the initiative of the pakistani government to build a national mosque in islamabad during an official visit to pakistan. in 1969, an international competition was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. the winning design was that of turkish architect vedat
Mosques_in_Islamabad National_symbols_of_Pakistan Religious_buildings_completed_in_1986