Sheikh Zayed White Mosque. Sheikh Zayed Mosque (White Mosque)
The largest in United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, impresses with its luxury and decoration. And even if the main attraction of Abu Dhabi is much inferior in size to other mosques in the world, you will not see such miracles as there.
The program of any excursion of this emirate includes a visit to the Grand Mosque. So, according to statistics, only in 2013, about 2 million 300 thousand tourists visited there, while the famous one was visited by only 1 million guests.
The mosque got its name thanks to its creator - the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Emir of Abu Dhabi - Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
How to get to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
If you settled in one of the hotels in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the easiest way is to use the services. Depending on the distance, the trip will cost you between 10 and 40 dirhams.
Another option is to take the bus. This option is useful if bus stop located near your hotel. In this case, you will pay only 4 dirhams. However, buses do not run very often, about once every 30 minutes.
If you are in such emirates as Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Fujairah or Ras al-Khaim, independent trip in Abu Dhabi will be difficult and costly. In this case, it is better to use the services sightseeing tour around the emirate of Abu Dhabi, since such an excursion is free. By the way, you don’t have to pay to enter the mosque either.
Schedule
The Grand Mosque welcomes guests from 9 am to 10 pm. However, if you are not a Muslim, you will be allowed into the prayer hall only when there are no prayers.
The first prayer in the emirate ends at sunrise, the second begins as soon as the sun crosses the zenith, so you can visit this place between these two prayers - from about 10 to 12 in the morning.
If you want to know exact time dawn and zenith of the sun, we recommend that you look at local weather websites.
On Fridays, the Grand Mosque is visited from 16:30 to 10 pm. The entrance to the prayer hall for non-Muslims will be closed.
The same rule applies to non-Muslims in the month of Ramadan. You will not be allowed into the prayer hall, and the Mosque itself can be viewed from 9 am to 1 pm.
Tour times
As we have already said, excursions to the Mosque are free. You can listen to the guide in English and Arabic. To do this, you need to arrive at the place 15 minutes before the start of the tour, go to the eastern entrance of the Mosque and sign up with the guide.
Weekdays: at 10:00, 11:00 and 16:45.
Friday: at 16:45 and 18:30.
Saturday: at 10:00, 11:00, 14:00, 16:45 and 18:30.
During Ramadan at 10:00 and 11:00.
The duration of the tour is 45-60 minutes.
Rules of conduct in the mosque
On the territory of the Grand Mosque it is forbidden to eat, drink drinks and smoke. The dress code must be respected: parts of the body, including arms, legs and head, must be covered.
Transparent, tight-fitting, open clothing that exposes the neckline and back is prohibited. Men must have knees and shoulders covered. If you don't have the right clothes, at the entrance you will be given an abaya for women and a dishdash for men. They also give out a headscarf - a sheila.
- It is forbidden to photograph the grave of Sheikh Zayed bin Al-Nahyan;
- You cannot enter the prayer hall in shoes - they are removed before entering;
- It is forbidden to touch each other and show feelings in every possible way;
- You can not touch the interior of the prayer hall;
- It is not recommended to leave children unattended and make noise. Sound on mobile phone it's better to turn it off.
Acquainted with complete list rules of conduct in the United Arab Emirates can be found in our article "".
The history of the mosque
Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al Nahyan was a truly outstanding representative of his era. Being a man of culture, he often spoke about the need for a connection between the past, present and future, and also sought to preserve and develop the traditions of his country.
According to his plan, the mosque was supposed to be something between ancient and modern architectural styles.
A well-known artist from Syria, Yusuf Abdelki, was chosen as the main artist of the project. The planning of the project took place at the end of the 80s and took about 10 years.
The inspiration for the creators was the architecture of the Great Moghuls, the Alexandria Mosque in Egypt and the Indo-Islamic style of mosques.
You will find many similarities with the Badshahi Mosque in Pakistan, especially the domes and courtyard.
The arcades and mosques of the Sheikh are designed in the Moorish style, and the minarets are in the classical Arabic style.
The Grand Mosque itself is a prime example harmonious mixture of styles from different eras and Islamic architectural trends.
The first stage of construction fell on November 5, 1996 - but even then disagreements began between the contractors, and the construction process slowed down. Only in 2001, when the construction company Halcrow took over, did the process move forward. By the spring of 2002, the foundation was completed, although it was originally assumed that by this time the mosque would already be erected ...
About 38 contractors and 3.5 thousand workers took part in the construction. The initial cost of the object has increased from 1.5 to 2.1 million dirhams.
Sheikh Zayed died in November 2004. Since the Grand Mosque was not yet ready, a memorial service was held in another mosque in Abu Dhabi - Batin. The burial place was already completed, and the Sheikh's body was placed on the ground the same day.
The Grand Mosque itself opened in Ramadan 2007.
What to see
As we said earlier, the Mosque has become an example of an amazing combination of ancient and modern Islamic architectural style. The buildings amaze with their luxury and scale. Here are a few places you should definitely visit.
The area itself is about 290 meters wide and 420 meters long, plus gardens and parking. There are information boards everywhere, so don't get lost.
The tour bus stops at the parking lot, while a taxi can drop you off near the east side. There you will see a staircase and two semicircular fountains.
In the first case, before you get to the Mosque, you will see two objects: the first of them is an air-conditioned cafe where you can have a cup of tea, the second is the Sheikh Zayed Mausoleum. You will not see the body of the sheikh himself, since the Islamic religion does not allow this. You will also not be allowed to take photos inside the mausoleum.
Over the coffin of the Sheikh, the Koran is constantly read. The ministers of the church replace each other every hour. It takes about two days to fully read the holy book.
yard
The total area of the yard is about 1.7 hectares. Its floor is decorated with the largest marble mosaic in the world.
The courtyard can easily accommodate about 30,000 worshipers. At the same time, you won’t see this on weekdays - everyone gathers in the prayer hall, but on Friday, during the Juma prayer, everyone goes out into the courtyard, so tourists are not allowed there at this time.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque combines a huge number of the most different types marble. Samples were brought here from Greece, Macedonia, Italy, India, China and other countries, in total about 28 varieties. The total coverage area is 22 hectares.
Minarets
There are only 4 of them, one in each corner. The minarets are also decorated with marble and are 107 meters high. Square at the base, higher they acquire an octagonal, and then a round shape. The administration of the Mosque is located in the western part, this is where you can find a guide. In the northeast - a library dedicated to Islamic history and culture.
prayer hall
Accommodates about 7 thousand worshipers. Two halls, smaller, another fifteen hundred people. One of them is for women.
Here it is worth looking at the columns covered with mother-of-pearl, decorated with mosaics made of Turkish ceramics. The author of the inscriptions is a calligrapher from Turkey - Sheikh Hassan Celbi. There are also glass gates 12.2 meters high and 7 meters high. Their weight is about 12 tons.
In the prayer hall you can see the large dome of the mosque from the inside, it has the shape of an octagonal star.
In fact, the Grand Mosque is worth seeing for the world's largest carpet, Qibla walls, chandeliers and more.
We hope to see you one day under the dome of the Grand Mosque.
(Visited 2 154 times, 1 visits today)
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has 82 domes in seven different sizes. The largest is 85 meters in height (height from the inside is 70 meters), 32.2 meters in diameter.
columns
The courtyard is surrounded by 1048 columns lined with more than 20,000 marble slabs interspersed with semi-precious shells, amethysts, lapis lazuli, red agates and mother-of-pearl. Long colonnades look amazing, see the photo below, click on the photo to enlarge.
Ponds
From the north, south and east, the building of the mosque is surrounded by ponds (there are 10 of them in total). A special lighting system has been created for these ponds. The illuminated walls, columns and domes of the mosque are reflected in the waters of the ponds, reminiscent of the night sky with clouds and moonlight.
The brightness of the lighting changes depending on the current phase of the moon. The backlight is created by 22 special towers, it is impossible not to notice them. If you want to see it, come here after sunset.
prayer hall
The prayer hall is open to non-Muslims only during times when prayers are not being held. That is, between the morning (Fajr) and midday (Zuhr) prayers.
The main prayer hall accommodates up to 7,000 believers, two secondary ones - up to 1,500 believers. One of these secondary halls is for women. It is in the main hall that the main wonders of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque are hidden.
There are 96 columns covered with mother-of-pearl in the prayer hall. On the walls you can see 80 Iznik ceramic mosaics from Turkey. The thuluth style inscriptions on these mosaics were created by the Turkish calligrapher Sheikh Hassan Celbi. Pay attention to the large glass gates, they are 7 meters wide, 12.2 meters long and weigh 2.2 tons.
In the main prayer hall, look up, you will see the large dome of the mosque from the inside. Please note that the hall is made in the shape of an octagonal star.
Carpet
In the prayer hall you need to look under your feet. The carpet covering the floor is the largest in the world (pictured above, click to enlarge). Its area is 5627 sq.m., it consists of 2,268,000,000 knots and weighs more than 35 tons. It was woven in Iran for two years by 1200 craftsmen.
The design of the carpet was developed by the Iranian Ali Kaliki, the production was supervised by the Iranian state company Iran Carpet Co. This carpet cost AED 30 million.
A masterpiece of modern technology (in the photo on the left, click to enlarge). The light on the Qibla wall is supplied by the EFO system, that is, it is transmitted from distant sources using optical fiber. The EFO system is powered by 250 remote lamps. The optical system was developed by Fiberstars EFO.
99 names (properties) of Allah are written on the wall in Kufic script. These inscriptions were made by the famous calligrapher of the United Arab Emirates - Mohammed Mandi Al-Tamimi.
The Qibla wall is 50 meters wide and 23 meters high.
The prayer halls are illuminated by seven chandeliers manufactured by the German company Faustig. To get an idea of how expensive it is, you can look on the Internet for the prices of regular Faustig home chandeliers. And the chandeliers for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque are made from millions of Swarovski crystals.
The largest chandelier is located in the center of the main hall (in the photo on the right, click to enlarge), diameter - 10 meters, height - 15 meters, weight - 12 tons. At the time of the construction of the mosque, this chandelier was the largest in the world. Now the record has been broken, in 2010 in Qatar, in the building of Ali Bin Khalifa Al Hitmi & Co, an 18-ton LED chandelier was installed.
These seven chandeliers cost AED 30 million. The total weight of the gilding on them is 40 kilograms of 999 gold!
Have a good visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and read our helpful and interesting for tourists articles about the United Arab Emirates ( links below).
When you read a description or see with your own eyes the ancient places of worship- temples, cathedrals, churches - one is amazed at the love, awe and faith with which these unique monuments architects of antiquity. It seems that nothing more perfect can be created. However, modern builders refute this opinion.
A vivid example of this is the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, a magnificent architectural masterpiece, which appeared on earth at the beginning of the XXI century. It is the sixth largest mosque in the world. It is dedicated to the first president and founder of the state (UAE), Sheikh Zayed. The facility was officially opened in 2007.
Where is the mosque located?
The capital is the wonderful city of Abu Dhabi, in which the world-famous mosque is located. The city is located on the island of the same name in the Persian Gulf. Now it is connected to the mainland by three bridges (road), so it is not difficult for everyone who wants to see the mosque to get to the capital. This can be done, for example, from the neighboring emirate of Dubai. Sheikh Zayed Mosque will appear before you in 2.5 hours. That's how long the journey takes.
Sheikh Zayed - the founder of the state
The magnificent snow-white Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi got its name for a reason. The initiator of the creation of a unique structure was the President of the (first) UAE Sheikh Zayed. This man played an important role in the history of the country. He was able to unite six principalities (Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Fujara, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah, Dubai, Arjah) into a single federal state. After that, he achieved independence from England. The oil trade made it possible to turn the Emirates into a prosperous state. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque (UAE) was officially opened three years after the Sheikh's death. He is buried to the right of the temple. From the moment of burial, the servants of the mosque read the Holy Quran for days on end.
Not only the mosque is dedicated to the memory of the legendary sheikh. locals honor him, and therefore strive to perpetuate his name. Abu Dhabi has the most beautiful bridge and huge football stadium. These structures also bear the name of Sheikh Zayed.
Construction
Planning and building this grand structure continued for over twenty years. It cost the state treasury $500 million. Initially, a competition for the creation of a temple project was announced in the UAE and some other countries. Arab countries, but then it began to be carried out all over the world. Architects from different countries.
More than three thousand people representing thirty-eight organizations worked on the construction of the mosque. It was decided to build the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, but later, during the construction process, changes appeared in the project. Elements of Persian, Mauritanian and Arabic directions began to be seen in the construction. The outer walls of the temple are made in the Turkish style (classical).
materials
The creators of the unique building dreamed that the Sheikh Zayed Mosque would retain its original architectural appearance as long as possible. That is why only the highest quality materials were used in the construction - Macedonian marble. In the interior and exterior decoration you can see gold, precious and semi-precious stones, multi-colored crystals, gems, ceramics, crystal.
Architecture
Sheikh Zayed Mosque huge area- 22,400 sq. m. It accommodates more than forty thousand parishioners. All those who come to the Emirates strive to see her. Sheikh Zayed Mosque is visited by over 300,000 tourists every year. It should be noted that, unlike other mosques, not only Muslims, but also adherents of a different faith can enter here. This is the second UAE temple after Dubai, which can be visited by representatives of other religions.
Description of the temple
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque (Abu Dhabi) can only be described using superlative adjectives - the largest, most beautiful, most visited in the country. The total area of the premises is comparable to five football fields. Minarets rise at the four corners of the building. Their height exceeds one hundred meters.
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is famous for its main prayer hall, where 9,000 worshipers can pray at the same time. It is decorated with fifty-seven snow-white domes. Two more halls are created especially for women. They can accommodate 1,500 worshipers each. Before entering the temple, a woman must put on a veil.
This unique one has eighty domes covered with white marble. Outside and in the center are more than a thousand columns, decorated with handmade white marble panels. They are interspersed with lapis lazuli, pearls, agate and other semi-precious stones. The mosque has a courtyard with an area of more than 17 thousand square meters, lined with white marble slabs with exquisite ornaments. m. It plays a practical role, which is very important in the hot climate of the country - numerous colonnades (more than a thousand) help to form a light breeze.
The walls of the temple, lined with slabs of snow-white marble, shimmer during the day under the sun's rays, and in the evening the room is illuminated with luxurious illumination. It changes color from white to dark blue.
Interior decoration
This truly unique building is the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Abu Dhabi (UAE) is famous for its beautiful constructions, but the splendor and luxury of this temple delights even the Arabs.
The interior is decorated with a huge number of candlesticks covered with gold and inlaid with Swarovski crystals. The largest of them is attached to the main dome. During the construction of the Qibla wall, gold and gilding were used. Ninety-nine names of the great Allah are carved on it.
Carpet
The mosque has the largest carpet (the area is more than 5600 square meters). It was woven for two years. This piece of art was created from a sketch by artist Ali Khaliqi. One thousand two hundred weavers and twenty technical teams worked on its creation.
Not only the dimensions of the carpet are striking, but also the figures that guides tell visitors - it took thirty-six tons of wool and twelve tons of cotton to make it. Its weight is forty-seven tons. The carpet is made up of 2,268,000 knots.
mosque lighting
For unique temple German craftsmen made seven chandeliers. They are covered and decorated with Swarovski crystals. It also houses the largest chandelier in the world today. Its diameter is ten meters, its height is twelve meters. This design weighs twelve tons.
Around the mosque are artificial canals and lakes decorated with dark tiles. All the splendor of the snow-white temple is reflected in these reservoirs.
We have already said that anyone who wishes to enter the Sheikh Zayed Mosque can enter, regardless of religion and nationality. But at the same time, certain rules must be observed. Believers of other faiths or tourists cannot enter the temple during the service. In addition, it is forbidden to touch the Koran, as well as the elements that are associated with prayers.
It is necessary to pay attention to the choice of clothing. It should be strict and closed. Today there are free fascinating excursions. Tourists recommend visiting this building in the evening. It is illuminated by countless lights and looks just amazing.
Many are mistaken in thinking that magnificent mosque built to display wealth local population and additional attraction of tourists. In reality, this unique building is the personification of respect and immense gratitude to Sheikh Zayed, who united the impoverished Bedouin principalities and created a powerful country.
There is a very large library on the territory of the mosque. And in 2008 there was created Cultural Center « Grand Mosque Sheikh Zayed. Its tasks include the management of day-to-day operations - education and excursion programs for visitors.
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white mosque Sheikha Zayed in Abu Dhabi impressed me more than all the wonders of nearby Dubai put together. This monumental building made of snow-white marble looks like something from the tales of the Thousand and One Nights! I've seen pictures of her before and honestly thought they exaggerated the beauty of the mosque a bit. What was my surprise when I realized that the photographs do not convey all the subtle beauty of this magnificent building.
// levik.livejournal.com
I will say right away that my photographs will not convey it to the end either, this mosque must be seen with your own eyes in order to fully appreciate its elegance and the skill of its builders. But I'll tell you a little about her anyway.
The first thing that caught my eye was how much this mosque resembles the palace of the Sultan from Disney's Aladdin. That is, the comparison with the Thousand and One Nights is fully justified.
I confess that I have a far ambiguous attitude towards huge religious buildings. I'm an atheist, and on the one hand, I'm a little sorry to see how humanity spends a huge amount of time and resources on building great temples to honor a higher power, which, as it seems to me, does not exist. On the other hand, it is hard to argue with the fact that many of the most beautiful and interesting buildings created by mankind in its history is a religious building. Cathedrals of Notre Dame and Saint Peter in the Vatican, Egyptian pyramids- all these great monuments of mankind are built precisely for religious purposes.
And what monumental buildings did secular society build? No, of course they are, but as a rule they are less impressive than religious buildings.
Christians in the past built magnificent cathedrals, but today they have to save money. Even the century-old construction of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is evidence of this. The new parts of the cathedral are much simpler and more utilitarian than the old ones. What would these great monuments of Christian architecture look like if they were built today, using the latest technologies, but with the same astronomical budgets? Who knows. Today, only Muslims are capable of such delightful extravagance.
I am not a great specialist in mosques, from the big famous mosques of the world I have been only to the Blue Mosque of Istanbul before. I remember she impressed me, but what I saw here in Abu Dhabi is much cooler!
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is popularly called the "White Mosque", was built relatively recently. The construction took more than ten years and cost half a billion dollars. More than 3,000 artists from all over the world participated in it! As a result, the mosque was opened in 2007. This huge complex from white marble. The mosque has four hundred-meter minarets, a huge inner "yard" and 82 domes! From above, it looks like this:
// levik.livejournal.com
Sorry, I don't have a helicopter, so the photo is satellite
The territory of the mosque is also impressive, both for its size and the degree of "combing".
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is named after it. It is one of the few in the Emirates where non-Muslims are allowed to enter. Anyone can get here, and it's free. The authorities wisely decided that such a treasure should not be hidden from representatives of other faiths. Predictably, visitors are asked to dress conservatively. Anyone who has more skin in sight than it should be will be given special clothing covering the shame.
Already at the entrance you can see beautiful domes and minarets.
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The building of the mosque is surrounded by shallow pools with clean water. Notice the wall cladding - it is made of marble slabs of different sizes.
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The shady galleries look like they go off into infinity. The columns here are decorated with patterns of climbing plants.
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Through the arches of the gallery one can see the courtyard and the main building of the mosque.
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Minarets mark the corners of this courtyard, which is also completely covered in marble.
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Agree, this is the spitting image of the Sultan's palace!
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By the way, the floor of the courtyard is not only marble, but also lined with colorful flowers - this pattern is considered the largest marble mosaic in the world.
// levik.livejournal.com
Look at the quality of the work! Pieces of colored stone are so accurately embedded in the surrounding white marble that you can't see the slightest gap. There is no cement here either. Such a high quality of work can be seen wherever you look in the mosque. This is what makes it stand out from the background of many other modern mega-buildings, which, if you look closer, you can see many flaws.
// levik.livejournal.com
Let's go inside. As you know, you cannot enter the mosque in shoes. There are shelves in front of the entrance where you can take off your shoes and leave your shoes.
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Look at these huge gates. They are two and a half human height, and lead to the "dressing room" of the mosque. The interiors of the premises are air-conditioned, as in Abu Dhabi, as in Dubai heatwave. Therefore, these gates are constantly closed. They work on a photoelectric cell. There is something almost magical about how silently and smoothly this door automatically opens when a person is about to pass through.
// levik.livejournal.com
In the waiting room, the walls are also covered with mosaic vegetation.
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There is a chandelier here. All the chandeliers in the mosque were made in Germany using Austrian crystal from Swarovski. Pay attention to the ceiling. Incredibly complex patterns in the mosque are found on almost all surfaces, you just need to look closely. The only place where I have seen anything even resembling such complexity of knitting before is the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
// levik.livejournal.com
Another giant gate on a photoelectric cell leads from the dressing room inside the mosque.
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This is what the room looks like inside. More columns, another German chandelier. All this is clearly very rich, but it is also obvious that it is done with taste.
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Again, the level of detail is amazing!
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There is a huge Persian carpet on the floor. It was woven in Iran especially for this mosque. It was delivered in nine separate sections, which were already connected here, on the spot. Visitors to the mosque walk barefoot on it - it is fabulously soft, it is a very pleasant feeling for the feet.
// levik.livejournal.com
The walls of the main hall are decorated with patterns of semi-precious stones. Note that some of them glow!
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These are translucent stones, behind which lamps are installed. The effect is as if the stones radiate an inner glow.
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On main wall, 99 titles of Allah are written among the luminous curlicues. These inscriptions were made by one of the most famous masters of Arabic calligraphy. This wall also has a recess for the preacher. Every Friday, the main sermon of the country is heard here.
// levik.livejournal.com
By the way, in the United Arab Emirates, the state controls all imams through the Department of Religion. Every week, the department announces a topic for the Friday sermon, and each imam must himself come up with a speech on this topic and recite it during the Friday prayer. Imams are monitored to make sure none of them try to radicalize their flock. For calls for violence and other fundamentalism, they face jail or deportation.
// levik.livejournal.com
Here, even the Quran shelf is trimmed with mother-of-pearl!
For tourists, the mosque leads free tours in different languages. In order not to scream, the presenter has a microphone, and receivers are given to visitors.
// levik.livejournal.com
Let's go for a walk outside...
buildings
The Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the most big mosque in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the sixth largest mosque in the world. It is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first president of the UAE, who is buried there.
The beauty and grandeur of the White Mosque cannot be expressed in words. Judge for yourself: the total area of this white miracle is 17,000 square meters (five football fields could freely fit on it), 40,960 believers can pray in the mosque at the same time. 
For the construction of the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque, designers and suppliers of building materials from various parts of the world (Germany, Turkey, Italy, India, China, UAE, Iran, Greece, Morocco) were involved. For construction and interior decoration Sheikh Zayed Mosques used semi-precious stones and gold, natural stone and marble, ceramics and rock crystal. The construction of the Mosque started in 1996 and lasted for several years, only in 2007 the construction of the building was fully completed. 
The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque has 80 domes, all of which are decorated with white marble. 
The main dome is 32.7 meters in diameter and 70 meters high inside and 85 outside - the largest of its kind according to the Turkish Research Center for Islamic History and Culture. 
The mosque has 1,096 columns on the outside and 96 columns in the main prayer hall, which is adorned with over 20,000 handmade marble panels inlaid with semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst and pearls. 
artificial lakes occupying total area 7,874 square meters and canals decorated with dark tiles surround the mosque, while the 17,000 square meter courtyard of the mosque is decorated with colorful mosaics. The pools reflect the picturesque view of the mosque, which becomes even more magnificent at night. 
The courtyard is inlaid with multi-colored marble floral ornaments and has about seventeen thousand square meters. 
Thousands of rare and beautiful stones: amethyst, onyx, lapis lazuli were used to decorate the flowering vines on the side arcades of the mosque and on the white marble columns at the entrance. 
The sights of Abu Dhabi (first of all, the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque) annually attract a great number of tourists from around the world who wish not only to get acquainted with Arabic culture, but also to admire the wonderful modern architectural structures Middle East. 
The Sheikh Zayed White Mosque in Abu Dhabi is open to visitors of any nationality, but the administration asks to observe the rules of religious etiquette when visiting this structure. Thus, tourists must wear loose-fitting clothing, skirts and trousers must be long (below the knees), and blouses and shirts must be long-sleeved. Shorts and see-through clothing, swimwear and beach wear are prohibited. Visitors are required to remove their shoes before entering the mosque, so flip flops are recommended. For women, a headscarf is obligatory (it can be obtained upon arrival). Any kind of intimate behavior is prohibited (kissing, holding hands is unacceptable), as well as smoking and eating. The administration earnestly asks to respect the feelings of believers and to be in places allowed for visiting, free walking is prohibited. It is not allowed to touch the Quran, and also architectural elements inside the prayer hall. 
The Mosque organized free tours, maximum size excursion group- 30 people. Single visitors can join organized excursions. In case the size tourist group does not exceed 10 people, advance booking of the tour is not required. Entrance to the Sheikh Zayed White Mosque in Abu Dhabi is free, there is no charge. You can visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque both in the daytime and in the evening. Evening illumination gives the Mosque an extraordinary fabulousness and beauty. If you have enough time, we recommend to admire this amazing building both during the daytime and after sunset. The only remark is that during the service, non-Muslims are forbidden to go inside the temple, it is necessary to wait until the end of the prayer.
