Grand Mosque In Abu Dhabi For All Nationalities And Religions

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was initiated by the late President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. His final resting place is located on the grounds beside the same mosque. It is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates and the eighth largest mosque in the world. The mosque site is equivalent to the size five football fields approximately.
The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque features 80 domes all decorated with white marble. The main dome’s outer shell measures 32.7 meters in diameter and stands 70 meters high from the inside and 85 meters from the outside - the largest of its kind, according to the Turkey Research Centre for Islamic History and Culture. This architectural work of art is one the world’s largest mosques, with a capacity for an astonishing 41,000 worshippers.
The Mosque has 1,096 columns in its exterior and 96 columns in the main prayer hall which are embedded with more than 20,000 handmade marble panels encrusted with semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone shell and mother of pearl. Furthermore, beautiful minarets standing 107 meters are built on the four corners of the Mosque.
After the first phase involving foundations and the concrete structure, the mosque was finished with a decoration of Greek and Italian white marble, which is considered to be among the purest of the world. For the interior design, calligraphers from the United Arab Emirates, Syria and Jordan supervised the work of artists from all over the world. Verses from the Holy Quran are written in three types of Arabic calligraphy. The mosques spectacularly decorated interior features unique plants designed specifically for the mosque, as well as verses from the Holly Quran. In addition, the designers have also used mosaic to cover the entire courtyard (17,000 square meters) and thus it is considered among the largest open spaces in mosques worldwide.
The mosque is open to people of all nationalities and religions, not only Muslims and there’s no passport or religion check of visitors to the mosque. Visitors can walk around the main courtyard by themselves (at pretty much any time of day except Friday mornings), and inside the main mosque prayer hall (restricted during prayer times, Friday sermon times, and Ramadan). But must follow the dress code and behavior rule to entry the mosque, like No smoking, eating, or drinking inside the mosque area. Dress code for men is long-sleeve shirts, long trousers, no shorts. White dish-dashas are available for men who are inappropriately dressed. Dress code for women is long trousers or skirts, long-sleeve shirts or tops, nothing tight, headscarf (important). Black abayas are provided to visiting females. You might, or will probably, be given one to wear no matter how conservatively dressed you are so don't worry too much about what you're wearing or remembering to bring a scarf. Hair (for women) should be kept covered while in the mosque grounds but it's not necessary to cover faces. Footwear must be removed before entering so it is recommended that visitors wear comfortable shoes that are easily removed.
 Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, also the Head of the Church of England, visited the Sheikh Zayed Mosque on 24 November 2010 during a visit to the UAE with her husband, Prince Philip. She was the first leader of a non-Muslim religion to officially visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Photography is permitted inside and outside the mosque except for taking photos of the grave of Sheikh Zayed and the area around the tomb. It's worth visiting in the evenings to look at all the pretty lights, or early morning at sunrise. No entry fee is required. Guided tours are organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.
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