A Complete Guide About The Classic And Magnificent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi is a beautiful architectural marvel in UAE. Built by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE, it is the largest mosque in the UAE and one of the biggest in the world. It covers an enormous area of 30 acres (12 hectares), excluding the parking area and the outer landscape. The Sheikh Zayed masjid has a capacity of 40,000 people. The mosque’s construction was spread over 12 years and used more than 3,000 workers and artisans. 

The Grand Mosque was built from 1996 to 2007. It is influenced by the teachings of Islam and its message on peace and tolerance. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan built the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque as a place where people of different backgrounds could come together and exist in harmony. The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi stands 100 metres tall at its highest. Building the Sheikh Zayed Mosque cost about $545 million. Read on to know more interesting mosque facts.

Interesting Facts of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Architecture 

The mosque’s 82 domes, the largest of which stands in the centre of the main prayer hall, are perhaps its most striking feature. Pure white marble, onion-shaped “crowns,” and crescent-shaped finials embellished with gold-glass mosaics are exquisite features of the domes.

The mosque’s minarets integrate many Islamic architectural traditions into a work of art and beauty by fusing Mameluke, Ottoman, and Fatimid designs. The pure white colour of the Mosque has become one of its most distinguishing characteristics. A symbol of purity and peace.

Natural marble with various colours is used to produce a creative artistic outcome, such as ornamented columns with crowns at the bottom of the columns rather than the top. For Islamic architecture, this method is extraordinary and fairly new. An interesting fact about Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque fis that the marble is imported from Macedonia. The mosque is transformed into a work of art and a symphony of hues and shades thanks to the harmonious colour scheme of the walls, columns, and carpet.

The exquisite glasswork is a further noteworthy aspect. Glass that has been mosaicked, cut, and sandblasted shows off traditional Islamic patterns with symmetry and uniformity.

• Minarets

A combination of Ottoman, Mameluke and Moroccan architectural styles was used to create the mosque’s four 106-meter-tall minarets. The square bases that make up the initial segment of the minaret serve as its foundation. The Moroccan, Andalusian, and Mameluke architectural styles are all present. The second half of the minaret is octagonal, the third section is cylindrical, and the top lantern is decorated with a mosaic of gold-coloured glass. This minaret houses the only library in the entire mosque.

Did you know the word “Minaret” is derived from the Arabic word “Manarah”, which means lighthouse? 

• Carpet

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque has the world’s largest hand-crafted carpet, at 5,700 square metres, and holds the Guinness World Record. A total of about 1200 artisans worked on it for about two years. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque houses the gorgeous Persian carpet in the main prayer hall. The carpet is mainly made of wool. 

• Chandelier

The mosque features seven luxurious crystal chandeliers and boasts one of the largest chandeliers in the world. It is 10 metres wide, 15 metres tall and weighs 12 tonnes. In the foyer doors encircling the mosque are four blue chandeliers of a similar style and size. The largest is in the main foyer entry and weighs roughly two tonnes.

• Domes

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has 82 domes in various shapes and sizes. The main prayer hall’s centre is home to the largest of the 82 domes. The design has an onion-shaped “crown,” crescent-shaped finials, and pure white marble cladding decorated with a gold-glass mosaic. Beautiful Moroccan art is used to embellish the interiors of these domes. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque’s domes constantly show off the luxury of the mosque’s design.

• Lunar Illumination

As distinctive as the mosque itself is the lighting design of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi. It is intended to mimic the moon’s various phases and illuminate the mosque’s magnificent structure. And just as the moon changes shape and emits a different light each night, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque’s lighting cycle bathes its façade in darker tones during the early moon and brighter tones during the full moon. To create this imaginative picture, there are twenty-two light towers, each containing several light projectors.

• Columns

1,096 columns lining the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’s arcades are inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones. Each piece was individually hand-carved and inlaid by artisans working on-site. The columns are built of white marble panels. They employed a unique inlay method known as “Pietra Dura,” which originated in Italy in the 16th century and was used by the Mughals in the early 17th century. The columns of India’s Taj Mahal may be its most exquisite example. The Date Palm served as the design’s main inspiration. The mosque has 1,192 pillars, of which 96 are found in the interior hall. The inner pillars are covered with mother-of-pearl encrustation.

Good to Know for Visitors

• Visiting Timings

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi is open from 9 AM to 10 PM every day except on Fridays. On Fridays, the mosque is open from 4:30 PM to 10 PM.

• Tours

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque provides free guided tours in English and Arabic. You can also hire private tours to save time and get the best of your trip to this majestic venue.

Conclusion

The UAE has a lot to offer those who appreciate visiting religious and cultural places. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi is among the best tourist destinations. Because of its outstanding architecture and cultural significance, sightseers always recommend visiting this site. Travellers from all over the world, including families, parties, solo travellers, and congregations, are welcomed by the mosque’s hospitable open-door policy, which encourages them to not only take in its beauty but also learn more about the Emirate’s tradition of open dialogue. 

Today, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi is the epitome of purity. Abu Dhabi has a vibrant culture with deep historical roots. The history of Abu Dhabi offers a wealth of information for those interested in culture.

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