السلام عليكم (Hello/Peace be upon you) from Abu Dhabi!
On the 6th day of our trip, we departed from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
On our way to our new hotel, we stopped by one of the largest mosques in the world, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
One of the many things I learned over the past few days in Dubai is that UAE is considered as the "Center of the World." That is why this country is very rich in different cultures. So, it made sense when Lourdes, our tour guide, told us that Sheikh Zayed invited the best talents, materials, and techniques from all over the world to build his Grand Mosque. In fact, his slogan for this construction was to “unite the world.” Unfortunately, Sheikh Zayed passed away before the construction was finished, but his body is buried next to this mosque.
After a short walk under the tunnel from the entrance, we were welcomed by the beautiful white marble building. Sheikh Zayed used white as the main color as white symbolizes purity. You might already notice the floral mosaic in the courtyard in the picture above, but you can find many more floral patterns all over the places in this mosque because Sheikh Zayed was particularly fond of botanical designs because garden represents heaven.
For example, there are more than 1,000 columns that were inspired by the dates palm trees. Personally, I loved the floral pattern on these columns made with different minerals, such as amethyst and pearl shells.
As we walked through these beautiful columns, we reached the main prayer room which was also filled with floral patterns. In this main prayer room, we found the extravagant chandelier from Germany that weighs 12 tons. In addition, the carpet in this room is the world's largest hand-knotted carpet that was made by Persian designer and it weighs 35 tons!
It was by far the most beautiful mosque I've ever visited (in fact, there are not many mosques that are open to nonmuslims in the world, but Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the one of a few that is open) and I would love to go back there for the exclusive cultural tour that let you walk on the carpet.
On the 6th day of our trip, we departed from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
On our way to our new hotel, we stopped by one of the largest mosques in the world, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
One of the many things I learned over the past few days in Dubai is that UAE is considered as the "Center of the World." That is why this country is very rich in different cultures. So, it made sense when Lourdes, our tour guide, told us that Sheikh Zayed invited the best talents, materials, and techniques from all over the world to build his Grand Mosque. In fact, his slogan for this construction was to “unite the world.” Unfortunately, Sheikh Zayed passed away before the construction was finished, but his body is buried next to this mosque.
After a short walk under the tunnel from the entrance, we were welcomed by the beautiful white marble building. Sheikh Zayed used white as the main color as white symbolizes purity. You might already notice the floral mosaic in the courtyard in the picture above, but you can find many more floral patterns all over the places in this mosque because Sheikh Zayed was particularly fond of botanical designs because garden represents heaven.
As we walked through these beautiful columns, we reached the main prayer room which was also filled with floral patterns. In this main prayer room, we found the extravagant chandelier from Germany that weighs 12 tons. In addition, the carpet in this room is the world's largest hand-knotted carpet that was made by Persian designer and it weighs 35 tons!
It was by far the most beautiful mosque I've ever visited (in fact, there are not many mosques that are open to nonmuslims in the world, but Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the one of a few that is open) and I would love to go back there for the exclusive cultural tour that let you walk on the carpet.
It was magnificent! I would totally go back.
ReplyDeleteVisiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was one of the highlights of the trip in my opinion. It was a great way for our class to immersive itself in the Islamic culture that is so prevalent in the UAE and in the world. Apart from its magnificent stature and great attention to detail, the meaning behind the mosque and Sheikh Zayed's vision was the true takeaway from this experience. The UAE's efforts to be inclusive of all backgrounds were highly visible throughout this trip, so the fact that the Grand Mosque was built to "unite the world" only added to this progressive mission.
ReplyDeleteI loved how everything was well thought out when constructing the mosque, from the colors to the materials that were used. Every intricate detail had a purpose, which ultimately added to the overall allure of the standing work of art. I feel very grateful to have been able to step within the walls and columns of the Grand Mosque. Hearing the Quran recited through the loud speakers sent chills throughout my body, even though I didn't understand Arabic. Maybe I was in awe because the words echoed the halls and filled the enormous rooms or maybe it was because I realized how dedicated people were since someone is always there, 24/7, reading the sacred text. Nevertheless this is something I can't wait to tell my friends and family about back home.
I hope that more people from various backgrounds experience this same opportunity, as it has the potential to open their eyes to Islamic culture and to be more accepting of its people.
Amazing blog post! I felt like I was right back in Abu Dhabi . This day was also one of my favorite visiting the mosque was my favorite thing. I believe all religions should be tolerant of each other and we should all visit each Holy places, respectfully. Hearing the Quran recited over the mic was my favorite part, although it was annoying how loud tourist were. It was so beautiful and my favorite experience.
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