The magnificent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is considered to be one of the proudest architectural creations in the United Arab Emirates. It is the most expansive mosque in the UAE, capable of accommodating over 40,000 worshippers. As Abu Dhabi’s premier mosque, it is the central place of worship for Eid prayers and Friday gatherings.
The construction of the mosque commenced on the initiative of the former President of the UAE who is remembered as the father of the nation, the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. His remains lie in the mosque compound itself reflecting his revered status.
It is said that the design of this venerated place of worship ‘unites the world’ by incorporating materials from across the globe and employing artisans from many different countries. Craftsmen and raw materials from nations as diverse as Germany, Italy, India, Morocco, Malaysia, Turkey, China, Iran, New Zealand, Greece, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates were used in the construction of this architectural masterpiece. 38 well known construction companies and in excess of 3,000 workers were employed in the creation of the mosque. In order to make the building robust and long-lasting, natural materials such as marble, semi-precious stones, gold, ceramics and crystals were used as far as possible in its construction.
The principal prayer hall has enough room for more than 7,000 of the faithful, while there are also two smaller halls, one of which is the prayer location for females. The minarets located at each corner of the mosque compound rise to a lofty 107 metres.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque contains numerous features of interest. It is considered to contain the largest carpet on the globe, an Iranian masterpiece weighing 35 tonnes and taking two years to finish.
The mosque also features several grand chandeliers sourced from Germany, each containing thousands of Swarovski crystals. The largest is considered to be the biggest chandelier to be seen within a mosque. In the night the shimmering mosque presents an entrancing spectacle.
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