Prince Harry has made his first public visit to a mosque, touring a stunning sandstone building in Oman.

Harry ended his three-day trip to the Gulf state with a guided tour of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the capital Muscat.

 

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Pictures by: Eddie Mulholland/The Daily Telegraph/PA

 

Later today, in Abu Dhabi, he will play in a fundraising polo match in aid of his Africa-based charity Sentebale.

During the mosque visit, the fourth in line to the throne marvelled at the impressive building, which can hold up to 20,000 worshippers.

 

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It was a gift from Oman's ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the nation to mark the 30th year of his reign in 2000.

In keeping with custom, Harry removed his shoes before entering the mosque complex and was shown around by Habib Al-Riyami, secretary general of the Diwan higher centre for culture and science.

The prince asked his guide a string of questions during the tour, which lasted 30 minutes, and he smiled when he came across pictures of the Prince of Wales, on display in a library, taken during Charles's visit to the same building last year.

When Harry was spotted by a group of American tourists, they looked excited to see the famous visitor and a group of schoolchildren posed for selfies as he walked by.

The mosque was built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone and the main prayer hall has a central dome rising to a height of 164 feet (50 metres).

Its main minaret, which is 295 feet (90 metres) tall and has four flanking towers, can be seen across the city.

The mosque also boasts the world's second-largest hand-woven carpet and chandelier.

 

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Later today Harry will take to the field, at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, and lead a team representing his Sentebale charity against opponents featuring Argentinian polo player Nacho Figueras.

Now in its fifth year, the Sentebale Polo Cup raises awareness and funds for Sentebale's work in providing healthcare and education to vulnerable children, many of whom are Aids orphans or have lost their parents to the disease in the southern African kingdom of Lesotho.

The Sentebale Cup will also support the charity's plans to scale up its Mamohato Programme, which aims to address the emotional and psychological needs of children living with HIV, reducing the stigma linked to the illness, inspiring confidence and improving their quality of life.

 

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The Mamohato Children's Centre is due to be completed next June, allowing Sentebale to support more vulnerable children affected by HIV and Aids, and marks the beginning of the organisation's plans to expand, both in Lesotho and across southern Africa.

Previous Sentebale Polo Cups have been played in Barbados, the UK, Brazil, and the US.