A visit to Abu Dhabi (capital of UAE) is fragmentary without visiting the Grand Mosque Sheikh Zayed.it is one of the topmost tourist destinations in the world that is because of the striking architecture and intricate details. It has luxurious halls which cover about 20 hectares of land with an area of 295 by 449 in fact it is known as the third-largest mosque in the world after the Mosques in Mecca and Madina (Saudi Arabia). It is perhaps the unsurpassed place you will see in Abu Dhabi and gives a magnificent example of modern Islamic architecture. It is made up of customarily natural materials such as marble, Stones, Gold, Crystals and semi-precious stones.  These are some facts about this luxurious mosque.

Material

The material which was used to build this Mosque was imported from different countries such as New Zealand, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan, China, India, Germany and Austria.

Accommodates a Large Number of Worshipers

Sheikh Zayed Mosque accommodates a very large number of worshippers which is about 41,000 worshippers at the same time. It means about 41,000 individuals can go there to worship. And the main hall of the most can accommodate a large crowd of 10,000. when the mosque is not in use for the prayer it is open to the public but conversely, there are strict dress coats that Women must be absolutely covered including long sleeves a long skirt to the ankle and a scarf or wrap to cover the head.

Largest Hand-Knotted Carpet

The carpet at Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet. it took around 8 months to finish the design, a year to knot it and two months to place it all together.

Different Sizes of Domes

There are 82 domes in Sheikh Zayed mosque and the largest one is located at the centre of the main hall and the inner parts of the domes are made with Moroccan artistry.

Inspired by Persian and Mughal Architecture

Persian and Mughal architecture influenced by Abu Al-Abbas al Mursi mosque in Alexandria Egypt,  the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is inspired by Persian and Mughal architecture and its construction took 11 years to complete. the construction begin in 1996 and finished in 2007 with over 3000 workers and 38 contractors who work together to finish this mosque and finally, in 2007 it was open for the public.

Chandelier

German-based Pharma specializing in crystal chandeliers, Faustig, made Seven Sheikh Zayed Mosque crystal chandeliers which weighs around 12 tons and is one of the largest in the world. It is made from Stainless steel and brass and 24 karats of gold.

Unique Lightening

The unique lighting system is one of the chief reasons Sheikh Zayed Mosque is illustrious, as it has an exceptional lightning system design to bounce the phases of the Moon. There are 22 light Towers that project Clouds in a bluish-grey colour on the exterior of the mosque. The light changes according to the moon phase every night. Sheikh Zayed Mosque has 360 degrees lightning scheme connected to the lunar cycle. So when we observe a full moon, the mosque shines at night white light, the colour of the mosque gradually shifts from white to blue that becomes deeper reflecting the evolution of the moon during the lunar cycle. So the colour is changing every two evenings growing gradually bluer and the moon wanes.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque was the dream project of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This Mosque celebrates diversity and amity in one of the most beautiful ways possible. If you are planning to visit UAE anytime soon, don’t forget to visit this beautiful Grand Mosque.