TEHRAN -- Tehran’s Grand Mosalla is undergoing significant expansion to become the largest mosque complex in the world, a senior official at Khatam Headquarters, the construction arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), says. 
The mosque’s area will increase by 200 hectares due to ongoing development projects in its vicinity, Muhammad Reza Rahmani, head of Khatam’s transportation and urban development company, said. 
The expansion will position Imam Khomeini Mosalla as the world’s largest religious and cultural complex, according to Press TV.
Rahmani explained that the mosque is being connected to Chahar Bagh, a large green space in northern Tehran, via an access bridge constructed over the Shahid Soleimani Highway.
He touched on the government’s plans to acquire more land in Tehran’s Abbas Abad region to further expand the usable area of the complex. 
The Grand Mosalla of Tehran was initially conceived in the early 1980s following a proposal by senior religious leaders to relocate Tehran’s Friday Prayers from the University of Tehran to a larger venue. Over time, the project evolved into a major cultural complex, hosting significant annual exhibitions and religious ceremonies. 
Tehran’s International Quran Exhibition is one of the major events that the premises host during the holy month of Ramadan every year. The 32nd edition of the event is scheduled to begin next week.
One of the mosque’s standout features is its unique balcony area, which experts describe as one of the most advanced architectural structures of its kind globally. Rahmani emphasized the complexity of its design, calling it “one of the most unique structures of its kind” and noting that it is the world’s largest columnless balcony based on available statistics.