Photo: giggel (CC BY 3.0)
Culture and heritage · The United Arab Emirates
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Prayer and a visit at one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world. White marble, domes and one of the world's largest hand-knotted carpets.
Abu Dhabi · The United Arab Emirates
The experience
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi opened in 2007. It holds more than 40,000 worshippers beneath 82 white domes and four minarets. Its courtyard is white marble inlaid with coloured stone flowers, and the main prayer hall has one of the largest hand-knotted carpets in the world and gilded chandeliers set with crystal.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE, is buried in its grounds; he wanted the mosque to bring together the Islamic architecture of many lands.
Entry is free with an advance booking on the mosque's website. Modest, covering dress is required, with a head covering for women. The finest hour is just before maghrib: pray maghrib in the mosque, then see the marble and domes under lighting that changes with the phases of the moon.
We arrange the visit with an Arabic-speaking guide, plan it around prayer times, and check Friday hours, which differ from the rest of the week.
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