Sheikh Zayed Mosque is a must see attraction in Abu Dhabi. You should definitely visit this place while your stay in UAE. It’s very easily accessible by public bus or a taxi (35 AED) from the centre of Abu Dhabi.
From Dubai, you can take a bus from the main station for 20 AED that connects it with Abu Dhabi, the journey takes around 2 hours. On the bus, there are separate seats for men, women with children and families.
The mosque is one of the biggest in the world and its enormous size is really impressive. Built from several types of marble, with countless stunningly decorated columns, towers and domes, it has the capacity for as many as 40,000 people. It is open for all nationalities and all religions.
Sheikh Zayed Mosque opening hours: 9 am - 10 pm except on Friday: 2 pm - 10 pm.
It is worth to visit the mosque in the evening, that will allow you to admire the complex both illuminated by the sunlight and in the dark when it glows with various colors. Guided tours are available, there are many guides who will explain in detail the history of the site and give information about the materials used in construction of the mosque. Entry fee is not required. It is allowed to take photographs everywhere, both inside the mosque and out on the courtyard.
To enter the mosque you have to be properly dressed, for men there is a long sleeve shirt and long trousers required, for a women - long skirt, long sleeve top and a headscarf. If you are wearing something unsuitable, there is special clothing, both for men and women that is available for use while visiting.
The marble floor with flower design is believed to be the biggest mosaic in the world. At first glance, the courtyard (1000 white columns and 80 domes) is really impressive, but when you enter the mosque you will understand how much effort was required to accomplish this real work of art.
The mosque was fully completed in 2007. The main prayer hall boasts the biggest mosque dome in the world (33 meters in diameter, 85 meters high), the third biggest chandelier in the world and the world’s largest carpet astonishingly designed (5,600 square meters).
The chandeliers in the mosque were imported from Germany and they are made of gold and millions of Swarovsky crystals. The carpet was hand-made by thousands of Iranian craftsmen, it is the largest and most expensive carpet in the world. There are also beautiful designs and geometric patterns containing verses of Koran on the walls. The whole complex is so rich and colossal that, although designed in a completely different style, visiting the mosque gives the similar feeling of grandeur to visiting for example Vatican or Taj Mahal.
Copyright © 2014 by Adventurous Travels. This article was written by Tomasz Lisowski and originally published on www.adventurous-travels.com
