My tour of the sacred places of the country, which conquered the heart and soul, continues. After the magnificent Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, in no way inferior to it, was waiting for me.
As soon as I set foot on the territory of the stunning, striking in its scale and decoration of the courtyard, I realized: here it is - a meeting place of modernity and traditions, luxury and spirituality, modesty and incredible scope. In a word, here lies the mystery that the United Arab Emirates hide by all means. You will solve it and the secret of this fabulous country will be revealed to you. But not so simple! In order to at least get a little closer to the truth, to stay in the Great Mosque, as this work of architectural art is also called, will have to be more than one hour.
As already mentioned, I began to get acquainted with the temple from its courtyard, with countless columns adorning it. On them by the hand of the best masters freakish images of flowers are applied. The yard area is lined with shining marble. I recommend paying attention to this composition to all visitors without exception. Sometimes, in everyday hustle and bustle, we do not notice something beautiful that is in front of us. In this case, the miracle under our feet is the largest marble mosaic composition in the world. Just take a closer look, and you will begin to understand what luxury and exacting details you have to face.
In general, there can be no rivals in terms of magnificence at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Ask why? Looking at only photographs of the grandiose temple, its four minarets, and its shining interior decoration is enough to understand how it deserves a separate blog entry. And I will try to describe my impressions of the visit to the “holy of holies”.
I want to make a reservation right away that I was incredibly fascinated by the grandeur, monumentality, spirituality and history of the Grand Mosque, therefore I am extremely biased in my attitude to this monument of Islamic culture. Being here, in the heart of Abu Dhabi, I just want to admire the grandiose scope of the idea and execution of the wonderful structure and the fabulous craftsmanship of all those who worked on it. And there were quite a few, but more on that later.
To begin with, I want to plunge a little into history, to the very origins of the construction of the Great Mosque. One of the most important architectural attractions in the UAE capital is not without reason proudly named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates. This stunning man created a lot and worked hard as the first president of the country, constantly combining traditions with modernity in the young state. Sheikh Zayed Mosque was the embodiment of his reign, another pipe dream, which was invented and realized from scratch.
Remembering the late president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, said: “The name of Sheikh Zayed has become a synonym for nobility and philanthropy not only in the UAE, but throughout the world, however, he did not like to talk about his charity work.”
Yes, apparently, he preferred to act rather than talk. The far-sighted leader firmly believed that nothing was impossible. He wanted the mosque to be visible from anywhere in the city. Well, that is exactly what happened. As soon as I was in the center of Abu Dhabi, a stunning white building shone in front of my eyes, towering on the foundation of one person’s belief in the impossible. These minarets truly overshadow everything!
The first ideas about the construction of a mosque began to ripen in the late 1980s, but work began only in 1996. In the month of Ramadan 2007, the mosque first opened its doors to the public. The first prayer was held in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The founding father himself, to whom the world owes the appearance of the Great Mosque, unfortunately did not live to see that day. But his body is buried here, and the fate of the temple for centuries is inextricably linked with the name of the president.
But back to the magnificent construction. Surely, you have already heard that this is the largest mosque in the UAE and one of the largest in the whole world. It is able to accommodate up to 40 thousand people. They say that its construction cost almost $ 550 million. So whether it is or not, believe me, the size and cost of the work are not the most impressive facts about the glorious Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
This is truly a sacred place for the whole Islamic world, but, like the Jumeirah mosque in Dubai, which I was lucky to visit, this temple of the United Arab Emirates is open to non-Muslims. What is interesting Muslim attraction for tourists? Oh, I’m ready to talk about it for hours ...
The large mosque contains an indescribable amount of styles, cultural elements and jewelry. I will not lie if I say that they do not count! That is why I would advise taking more time to visit her.
In the mosque you will find references to Arabian, Persian, Mongolian and Moorish architecture. Just imagine - more than 3.5 thousand employees of 38 companies took part in the construction. Citizens of Italy, Germany, Morocco, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Malaysia, Iran, China, Great Britain, New Zealand, Greece made their hand in creating the attraction. Here, in the UAE capital, as Sheikh Zayed dreamed, the whole world met to work on a house sacred for all Muslims.
In the construction, durable, natural materials were used: marble, gold, crystals, precious stones ... Although at this point I would stop to describe all the luxury with meekness inherent in the UAE. Stones, stones, stones - they are everywhere here. Seeing this splendor shimmering in the light, I immediately realized that it attracted thousands of tourists to this mosque. In no other room, even one that should radiate wealth, I have never seen such an abundance of precious stones. I am afraid that to convey the grace of the interior is not only not in words, but also in photographs.
There are several separate elements in this luxurious interior that can literally drive you crazy. Firstly, the famous carpet in the main prayer hall. Just think, more than a thousand masters participated in its creation. They sewed it from 35 tons of New Zealand and Iranian wool and 12 tons of cotton. The result is amazing! He covers the floor like a green meadow, and, honestly, it is not immediately possible to get used to the idea that this carpet is the fruit of human work, and not a miracle of nature, around which a mosque was erected.
Visitors will certainly remember the ensemble of 82 domes with the main one, which is considered the largest dome in mosques. It is 85 meters high and more than 32 meters in diameter. But before me stands a wall on which 99 names of Allah are depicted.
One of the most striking features of this sacred place is a wonderful mosaic decoration that adorns the building both outside and inside. In addition, the craftsmen used Greek and Italian white marble, one of the cleanest in the world, in their work.
In the halls and halls are suspended seven crystal chandeliers. Try to imagine - they consist of millions of Swarovski crystals. The crown of this decoration is the largest chandelier among those that illuminate mosques, and, it seems, all the buildings in the world. This is not just a lighting fixture, but a real work of art that weighs about 12 tons!
While I was moving around the hall, amazed at the wonders of this mosque, another magic overtook me. The one that Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman called the best sounds in the world is one of the longest, overflowing and bewitching calls for prayer that I have ever heard. The melodic azan from the mouth of the muezzin penetrates into every room of the mosque, dissolving in the air above the spacious courtyard, informing Muslims about the approach of prayer, and tourists - about a break in acquaintance with the internal halls of the Grand Mosque.
When a mosque is not used for prayer, it is open to the public. Every day, except Friday, you can see this unimaginable beauty live. But it’s important to remember a rather strict dress code. I talked about this before, but let me remind you: women need to make sure that the body is completely closed. This applies to long sleeves to the wrist, and trousers or a long skirt to the ankles, as well as a scarf or scarf to cover the head.
And one more thing: one of the best views of the Great Mosque opens at dusk. The magic with which the white minarets flicker against the dark sky and the soft light of sunset is indescribable.
This post has been prepared and published with company support. YZER Motors, Yzer yachts and Yzer property.
