White Mosque in Abu Dhabi-an architectural treasure of the Emirates

Sheikh Zayed Mosque (Abu Dhabi) — the most majestic and expensive building in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the construction of which began in 1996. More than $545,000,000 was spent on its creation. And, definitely, the result justified such expenses — today it is one of the largest and most beautiful temples on the planet, and photos of the White Mosque in Abu Dhabi can often be seen in the most famous magazines.

General information

Sheikh Zayed Mosque is a huge Muslim temple, a monumental structure and the personification of luxury and wealth in the UAE. Contrary to popular belief, the White Mosque was built not in Dubai, but in Abu Dhabi. It was inaugurated in 2007 and bears the name of the first ruler and founder of the United Arab Emirates, whose grave is located nearby. This is the only mosque in the city of Abu Dhabi that anyone can visit: since 2008, both Muslim and followers of other religions can come here.

However, this is not the only thing that attracts tourists to the white mosque of Zayd. In addition, here you can see the largest carpet in the world (its area is 5627m2), which was created by more than 1000 weavers. It will also be interesting to take a look at the world’s second largest chandelier, lavishly inlaid with Swarovski crystals and covered with gold leaf.

The scale of the mosque is amazing: it can accommodate 40,000 people, about 7,000 of whom are in the prayer hall. Other rooms can accommodate 1500-4000 users at the same time.

Architecture and interior decoration

The White Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has been under construction for almost 20 years and covers an area of more than 12 hectares. About 3,000 workers and 500 engineers worked on such a huge project, and professionals from different countries competed to become the chief architect. As a result, they chose Jozef Abdelki, whose ideas were implemented.

Initially, the White Mosque was built in the Moroccan style, but later elements peculiar to the Persian, Moorish, Turkish and Arabic trends began to appear. The main task of the builders was to create a perfectly white structure that would look spectacular not only in the sun, but also at night. Macedonian marble perfectly coped with this task, which was used to cover the exterior of the mosque. On the facade of the building, you can also see inserts of bright crystals, precious stones and gold. The grandiose structure is crowned by 82 snow-white domes. Photos of the white mosque in Abu Dhabi resemble sketches from the famous Arabic fairy tale ” 1000 and 1 night”.

The Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is surrounded by artificial but picturesque canals that reflect the majestic structure at night.

The inner courtyard of the temple (its area is 17,000 m2) also deserves attention: tall white columns are decorated with unconventional floral ornaments and gold for mosques, and the marble square itself is laid out with a bright floral mosaic.

The interior of the White Mosque of Abu Dhabi is even more majestic and expensive: pearls, emeralds, gold, Iranian carpets and German chandeliers are everywhere. The main room in the mosque is a prayer hall, which houses a kind of center-the Qibla wall, which depicts the 99 qualities of Allah. The interior is illuminated by 7 huge chandeliers inlaid with rare stones and colorful crystals. The heaviest and most beautiful of them is in the prayer hall.

The building’s facade lighting changes periodically. It depends on the time of day and month of the year. In the photo, you can see that most often the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is painted in blue, gray, white, blue and purple colors.

You may be wondering: What souvenirs to bring from the Emirates?

Visit rules and useful tips

Although the Sheikh Zayed White Mosque is open to people of different faiths, it is still a sacred place for Muslims in Abu Dhabi, so you must adhere to the following rules::

• remove your shoes at the entrance
• wear closed clothing: if they are trousers, they should be loose-fitting or ankle-length skirts. Women should always tie a headscarf (you can take it for free at the entrance)
• Don’t hold hands
• do not eat, drink or smoke
• do not take photos inside the temple
• Do not touch the Koran or other sacred objects
• it is forbidden to enter the mosque during services.

And, of course, you should show respect for Muslim shrines, even if you are a follower of another religion.

Practical information

Address and how to get there

The Zayed Grand Mosque is located between the three main bridges connecting Abu Dhabi City to the mainland (Makta, Musafah and Sheikh Zayed Bridges) at Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street, 5th St.

It can be reached from the Ibn Battuta bus station by regular bus for 25 dirhams. However, it is worth noting that from the bus stop to the mosque you will have to walk about 20 minutes, which is not always possible due to the weather. Therefore, you should consider taking a taxi. A trip from Dubai will cost $ 80-100.

You can get to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque from the Abu Dhabi bus station in the same way: either by regular bus 32 (10 dirhams travel card + 15 must be on the account) or by taxi — $15-20.

Opening hours

The White Mosque in Abu Dhabi is open daily, and you can enter the temple as a tourist.:

• Saturday-Thursday from 9.00 to 22.00,
• on Friday — from 9.00 to 12.00 and from 15.00 to 22.00 (Friday or Juma is one of the three main holidays of Muslims, so services are held on this day).

During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it is also worth choosing the time to visit the white mosque especially carefully, because it constantly hosts services and organizes various events for Muslims (“Ramadan Lanterns “and”Our Guests”). By the way, Ramadan, depending on the lunar calendar, lasts from 28 to 30 days, and begins in late spring or early summer.

Cost of the session

Visiting the White Mosque is absolutely free. This also applies to the tour and clothing, which will be issued at the entrance if necessary. However, tourists are not allowed in all rooms.

Abu Dhabi Mosque Tours

The White Mosque offers free guided tours lasting 30-45 minutes, during which the guide will introduce tourists to the main temple of the UAE, as well as tell you a lot of interesting things about Islam in general.

Guided tours are provided by official SZGMC guides who will guide you and other members of the group around the mosque, explaining various elements of architecture and Islamic culture.

Visitors should arrive approximately 15 minutes before the tour starts, and visitor coordinators will be there to help you join the tour. The tour lasts approximately 30-45 minutes.

Guided tours start from the eastern side of the mosque. Ask any of the security guards or ground staff where the tours start, and they will point you in the direction of your desired starting point.

In addition to the main halls, the White Mosque has an exhibition hall where you can see exhibits from such events as the Arab Tourism Market, the Abu Dhabi International Tourism Fair, Arabia Expo, the MFTM Tourism Fair, ITB Berlin and GITEX.

In addition, the mosque hosts an annual exhibition of photographs “White Photography Space”, the main purpose of which is to show the aesthetics of Islamic architecture. Professional photographers participate in this project, and this competition annually attracts the attention of the world community. The cost of admission to the exhibition at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is also absolutely free.

By the way, you can start traveling around the largest temple in Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates in general right now, because on the official website (www.szgmc.gov.ae/en/) a virtual tour is presented. But it is still worth seeing the white Sheikh Zayed Mosque live, because it is recognized as one of the most beautiful temples of our time.