ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Barzani Grand Mosque in Erbil, a major religious and cultural complex that is set to be the largest mosque in the Middle East.

First envisioned by Prime Minister Barzani in 2023, the project is being developed under the supervision of the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, with designs prepared by Kurdish architect Rashid Fattah.

"This project was a historical need for our region," Barzani said during the ceremony.

The Barzani Grand Mosque is an ambitious religious and cultural complex spanning more than two million square meters. The project aims to combine Islamic architectural elements with traditional Kurdish design motifs.

"In terms of area, this mosque will become the biggest in the Middle East," Barzani said, adding that it will serve both religious and educational purposes.

"What is special is that the architecture [for the mosque] was designed with a Kurdish touch and by Kurdish designers," Barzani added.

Spanning more than two million square meters, the complex is designed to combine Islamic architecture with traditional Kurdish design elements. According to the project's developers, the main structure draws inspiration from the traditional Kurdish rashmall - the black wool tent historically used by nomadic Kurdish tribes - while other buildings will reflect similar traditional tent forms.

"This mosque will become a symbol to showcase that our nation is a nation of coexistence, morals, and a nation that worships God," Barzani said, adding, "This project will also become a place to advance religious coexistence ... which we are very proud of in Kurdistan.”

The mosque will be named after the late Kurdish leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani.

The main prayer hall is designed to accommodate around 9,000 worshippers and will be built atop an artificial hill. The complex will also include courtyards and event spaces capable of hosting up to 700,000 people during major religious and public events.

Plans for the site also include gardens and forested areas with more than one million trees and flowering plants, as well as a library and archive for Kurdish and religious texts, a museum dedicated to Kurdish history and manuscripts, a religious school, a conference center, public dining facilities, and a traditional market for Kurdish crafts and religious goods.