Most Beautiful Mosques in the World

A quarter of the world's population identifies as Muslim, everywhere from Malaysia to Maryland. And while some mosques are limited exclusively to Muslim worshippers, many others allow modestly-dressed visitors for tours between prayers, like the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque) in Istanbul. These 17 mosques represent some of the most beautiful in the world, and whether modern or sporting traditional minarets, they represent an integral space in the lives of 1.6 billion people.