Set way out on the eastern boundaries of Abu Dhabi city is the majestic Sheihk Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque. According to the cruise brochure, and supported by the comments of fellow guest who were able to visit inside, this Mosque it is “one of the most important architectural treasures of UAE society and one of the most beautiful in the world.” Constructed by the late president Sheihk Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, fondly regarded as the ‘Father of the UAE, it is popularly referred to as the Grand Mosque by locals since it is seen as a “globally unifying” landmark, bringing together designers, features, materials and suppliers from many parts of the world: Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, Greece and the UAE. The Mosque has 80 domes, all decorated in white marble. The furnishing of mosques by bringing together items from all over the world reflects the unifying desire that underpins the Islamic religion.
The diameter of the main dome is 32.7 metres and its apex stands 70 metres above the floor inside and 85 metres outside. There are more than 1096 external columns and 96 holding up the main prayer hall that can accommodate 7,000 worshippers for Friday Prayers (Shame the car park only has room for 750 cars, it must be a nightmare to get to and from). The main prayer hall is decorated with 20,000 handmade marble panels, encrusted with semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone shell and mother of pearl.
The outside landscaping is on the same lavish scale with over 7800 square metres of artificial lakes lined with dark tiles to reflect the dazzling white marble of the mosque. Colourful marble, floral mosaics pave the 17,000 square metre inner courtyard.
I’m sorry that I cannot bring you any pictures of the inside – although I’m equally sure you can find some on the internet should you wish to do so – but I was on the Big Bus Tour at the time. Some fellow table companions who did see inside said they found it rather soulless and lacked the spiritual feel that many had gained, for example, from the mosque in Bahrain.
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