The Abdul Rahman Mosque (Pashto: د عبدالرحمان جومات; Dari: مسجد عبدالرحمان), also known as the Grand Mosque of Kabul, is one of the largest mosques in Afghanistan. It is located in one of Kabul's central commercial areas called Deh Afghanan, near the Pashtunistan Square, Zarnegar Park, and across the once popular Plaza Hotel. The building is three stories high, built on 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres) of land. One floor of the building is dedicated to women only.[1]
The mosque is named after an influential Afghan businessman named Hajji Abdul Rahman who died but the project was continued by his sons. Construction of the mosque began in 2001 by Hajji Abdur Rahman but was delayed for several years due to red tape. The mosque has the capacity to serve 10,000 people at a time. There is also a madrasa inside the mosque and a library containing 150,000 books.[1]
The major work on the mosque was completed in late 2009 but the official inauguration took place in July 2012, attended by the former Afghan PresidentHamid Karzai and many other high-ranking officials.[1] The building of the mosque is said to have been initially designed by Afghan architect Mir Hafizullah Hashimi.[citation needed]
