The Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

This weekend we had the opportunity to visit the spectacular Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi (otherwize known as the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque). It's grand in size and in loveliness. It is one of very few mosques in the UAE that is open to non-Muslims and only during special hours.


Although not fully completed, the mosque is one of the largest in the world and apparently can accomodate 30,000 worshippers at one time.



We felt very welcomed at the mosque. There were many children, Westerners, non-Muslim visitors and Muslims alike. I'm glad we didn't leave the country without this visit.




The mosque is surrounded and full of beautiful white Italian marble with inlaid floral patterns, 24-carat gold-plated chandeliers with thousands of Swarovski crystals, and the main prayer hall also features the world’s largest hand-woven Persian carpet.




All who visit the mosque must be properly dressed and women are supplied an abeya (black gown) and hijaab (head scarf) to wear. I enjoyed this aspect of our visit as I have been curious what it feels like to wear this dress of the Gulf. I'll write more of this in another post.




I have no idea what I was talking to Eleanor about here, but her face cracks me up. She was very good in the mosque and very interested in everything around her. Maybe here I was telling her to use her "secret" voice which she took very seriously in between bouts of happy squeals.


Every direction there was something beautiful to take in, including up high which had Eleanor fascinated.




One of my favorite areas of the mosque was this beautiful room....






This is a nice video that shows much of the interior of the mosque.

My photographs do not do the mosque justice and lighting was tricky in the dim quiet of the large spaces. All photos here are my own with exception to the first and second.