Opened in October 1990 by the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, the mosque consists of a prayer hall which can accommodate up to 14,000 worshippers is flanked by generous veranda space, a courtyard and supported by an ablution and toilet facilities, office rooms, a kindergarten, a shop and a library at the rear. A banquet hall, staff quarters and school are housed in separate blocks. It’s star-shaped minaret is detached from the mosque structure, stands at 99-metre-high, symbolizing the number of names of Allah.

A world-renowned British-Iraqi architect, Sami Mousawi is the the architect who is also known for the design of the Rome Grand Mosque in Italy. The design for this mosque would be a true interpretation of traditional Islamic architecture in a modern form. Simplicity in the expression of the exterior and intricateness of the interior characterised the mosque. According to the architect, some decorative elements are from the Mesopotamia and Babylonian traditions, symbolism and monumentality comes from the Eastern Islamic world.