Rising majestically from beautifully manicured gardens and visible from each of the bridges joining Abu Dhabi Island to the mainland, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque represents an impressive welcome to the city. Conceived by the first president of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed, and marking his final resting place, the mosque accommodates 41,000 worshippers and is one of the few in the region open to non-Muslims.
With more than 80 marble domes on a roofline held aloft by over 1000 pillars and punctuated by four 107m-high minarets, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a masterpiece of modern Islamic architecture and design. Over 100,000 tons of pure white Greek and Macedonian marble were used in its construction. Delicate floral designs inlaid with semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone, jasper and mother-of-pearl, decorate a variety of marbles and contrast with the more traditional geometric ceramic details.
While it includes references to Mamluk, Ottoman and Fatimid styles, the overwhelming impression of the breath-taking interior is contemporary and innovative, with three steel, gold, brass and crystal chandeliers filling the main prayer hall with shafts of primary-coloured light. The chandeliers, the largest of which weighs approximately 12 tons, sparkle with Swarovski crystals and shine with 40kg of 24-carat galvanised gold.
One of the prayer hall's most impressive features is the world’s largest loomed carpet. The medallion design with elaborate arabesque motifs took 1200 craftsmen two years to complete, half of which was spent on hand knotting the 5700 sq metres of woollen thread on a cotton base. That translates as two billion, 268 million knots!
Visitors are welcome to enter the mosque except during prayer times. A worthwhile free 45- to 60-minute guided tour (in English and Arabic) helps explain some fundamentals of the Islamic religion while pointing out some of the stylistic highlights of the interior. Check the website for prayer times, which change daily. Mosque etiquette requires all visitors to wear long, loose-fitting, ankle-length trousers or skirts, long sleeves and a headscarf for women. Those not dressed appropriately are asked to go to the basement, where hooded abeyyas and kanduras can be borrowed for free.
Sheikh Zayed’s mausoleum is on the approach to the mosque entrance. Prayers are continually recited by attendants here. While photographs of the mausoleum are not permitted, visitors are free to photograph all other parts of the mosque, but sensitivity should be shown towards those in prayer.
The mosque is located off Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed St.
