Description
The majestic Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque is probably the most imposing religious and national landmark in Abu Dhabi to date. It is also arguably one of the most important architectural treasures of the contemporary UAE society - and one of the most beautiful in the world - initiated no less by the late president HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who is fondly thought of as the father of UAE.
The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque, popularly called Grand Mosque by local residents, is seen as a “globally unifying” landmark from its conception to completion, bringing together designers, features, materials and suppliers from nearly every corner of the globe: Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, Greece and the UAE.
The Mosque’s initial architectural design was Moroccan, but it evolved to include many global features, including exterior walls that are of traditional Turkish design. Natural materials were chosen for its design and construction, which include marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics.
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 metres in diameter and stands 70 metres high from the inside and 85 metres from the outside - the largest of its kind, according to the Turkey Research Centre for Islamic History and Culture.
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 metres are built on the four corners of the Mosque.
Artifical lakes, totaling 7,874 square metres and laden with dark tiles, surround the Mosque, whilst coloured floral marble and mosaics pave the 17,000 square metre courtyard. The pools reflect the Mosque’s spectacular image, which becomes even more resplendent at night.
An equally impressive interior design complements the Mosque’s awesome exterior. Italian white marble and inlaid floral designs adorn the prayer halls and the Mosque’s interior walls have decorative 24 carat gold-glass mosaic features. The main prayer hall also features the world’s largest hand-woven Persian carpet (7,119 square metres).
Furthermore the Mosque features seven 24-carat gold-plated chandeliers which were imported from Germany, all designed with thousands of Swarovski crystals. The largest of these chandeliers, which hangs from the main dome of the Mosque, is considered the biggest in the world; it measures 10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height, and eight-to-nine tonnes in weight.
The Qibla wall, on the other hand, is 23 metres high and 50 metres wide, and is subtly decorated so as not to distract worshippers from prayer. The 99 names (qualities) of Allah are featured on the Qibla wall using traditional Kufi calligraphy and are subtly back-illuminated using fibre-optic lighting. Twenty-four carat gold, gold leaf and gold glass mosaic were also used in the mehrab (the niche found in the middle of the Qibla wall) and the crescents topping the domes.
The Mosque has 80 Iznikpanels - highly decorated ceramic tiles popular in the 16th century - which feature distinctly in Istanbul’s imperial and religious buildings. Traditionally hand-crafted, each tile was designed by Turkish calligrapher Othman Agha. Three calligraphy styles - Naskhi, Thuloth and Kufi – are used throughout the mosque and were drafted by Mohammed Mendi (UAE), Farouk Haddad (Syria) and Mohammed Allam (Jordan).
The Mosque can accommodate up to 40,960 worshippers from its prayer halls and courtyard.
Tour Information
To reflect the spirit of Islam, a religion of peace, education and tolerance, the Zayed Mosque is open to visitors of all nationalities for structured educational tours.
Knowledgeable, qualified Emirati guides are on hand to lead the educational tours. Visitors can expect an enjoyable experience which will include valuable information about the architecture itself, plus an insight into the religion and culture of the people of the UAE. There will be many opportunities to ask questions and interact with the guides. The guided tours, most conducted by trained UAE nationals, have fast emerged as one of the country’s most popular cultural activities.
Special Notes
Dress and Behaviour Code
We kindly ask all visitors to respect our religion and place of prayer by following these simple requests: Visitors must be dressed appropriately on arrival; if not, entry will be denied.
Modest, conservative, loose fitting clothing; long sleeves, long skirts and trousers
No transparent (see-through) clothing
No shorts for men
No shorts or skirts for women - skirts must be ankle length
No tight clothing, no swimwear and no beachwear is acceptable
Shoes will be removed before entering the mosque, so we recommend slip off shoes
Headscarf for ladies is essential (these can be provided when you arrive)
Intimate behaviour; i.e. holding hands or kissing is not acceptable in a Muslim place of worship
For safety and respect to worshippers, visitors should stay within the areas of the mosque that are permitted and not roam freely around the construction
Smoking and food are not allowed in the mosque area
Visitors are requested not to touch the Holy Quran (Holy Book) and other architectural elements inside the main prayer hall
Photographs: Photographs during the tour are allowed. It is polite to ask permission to photograph people.
Children: Over seven (7+) years old are welcome to attend but parental control is kindly requested.
School bookings: Wednesdays are reserved for school bookings. Requests (after February 1st,2009) need to be made 2 weeks in advance (maximum 40 students per group).
Other Notes: Entrance to the mosque is on the airport road side of the mosque. There is plenty of car parking avalable
Booking Notes
We apologize that there will be no guided tours conducted during the month of January, however, during the below mentioned times, individuals may enter without a guided tour (dress and behaviour codes to be adhered to).
The mosque is open to visitors between 8.30am and 11:30am, Saturday to Thursday. Visitors will not be permitted to enter outside of these times; we respectfully request your cooperation in this matter.
Fridays: open only for worshippers.