Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a tourist trap to heaven.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a relatively new mosque that opened in 2007. No savings were made when they erected this complex of worship. I have read somewhere that a shaik or ruler in the Muslim world has to build at least one house of worship during his reign to ensure he gets a good seat in heaven. I will inform you that this builder has the golden ticket!
How I got here
In my previous post, I told you I booked a private guide for the day. On my last day in The United Arabic Emirates, I wanted to take a day trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, the capital. The guide I had booked informed me shortly before picking me up that his car had broken down. Thankfully, he rented a car and picked me up a few hours too late. This meant that my day in Abu Dhabi became a bit shorter. First, I visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Then, we drove through Abu Dhabi, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was the last stop.
When we arrived in downtown Abu Dhabi, it was already dark, so a few of the sights were closed, so I just managed to take a few pictures. It is a bit difficult to get a correct impression of a city, but my main aim this evening was to visit the large mosque, which closes at 22:00, so we had plenty of time for that.
Arriving at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The mosque is located on an open field, and it is not difficult to spot when this vast complex is lit at night. Even if we arrived pretty late at night, many people were still there. The parking lot is enormous on the ground and in an underground garage. You can see the mosque well but are directed down some stairs. And there you come to a large shopping mall. This place is full of many exclusive shops and religious items. But you could also find some famous American fast-food chains. My guide and driver would sit down for coffee while I used my time exploring the mosque.
There are four minarets on the four corners of the courtyard. With its floral design, the courtyard measures about 17,000 m2 and is considered the world’s largest example of marble mosaic. As for stonework, I have to admit, this floor is fantastic. Unfortunately, most of it is closed off, so you have to walk in those collonades around the courtyard.
The Grand Mosque holds several “records,” like the carpet in the prayer hall, which is considered to be the world’s largest. It measures 5,627 m2 and weighs 35 tons. The mosque has imported chandeliers from Germany with Swarovski crystals. The pools along the arcades get illuminated at night to reflect the moon’s phases.
More architectural details
The Syrian architect Yusef Abdelki took inspiration from several sources, including Mosques in Alexandria and the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, which I will visit in a few weeks. Other references are Persian, Mughal, and Indo-Islamic architecture. The mosque’s archways are Moorish, and its minarets are classically Arab.
In each corner, at the end of the colonnades, there is a room that I do not know the purpose or the name of, so I call them the corner rooms. They have the most fantastic floral 3D motifs up the walls; even here, the floor has fantastic mosaic designs. They are followed up with gorgeous chandeliers and look at the details on doors and windows.
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In good company
I am happy that I managed to see the Wast complex. One has to ask oneself whether this is in honour of a God, a way to show off power or wealth, or something you build to draw millions of tourists every year. I guess it is a combination of all of them. They display pictures of people who have been here before me, like Queen Elizabeth 2 and the present Pope Francis.
