UAE | Heritage and Culture

Shaikh Zayed Mosque: Realm of peace

The Shaikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi may break all records in terms of size and style, but the real reason people go there is for its serenity.

  • By Samir Salama, Associate Editor
  • Published: 00:17 April 23, 2008
  • Tabloid

  • The 22,412 square metre mosque is strategically placed to be a lighthouse.
  • Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
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Don't let the numbers distract you. The Shaikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi may break all records in terms of size and style, but the real reason people go there is for its serenity.

There is something about a place of worship that transfers you from the rough-and-tumble, problem-drenched world to a realm of peace, serenity and awe.

It actually doesn't matter whether it is a hut in Africa or a mosque in Makkah, but there is something about the new Shaikh Zayed Mosque that makes you stop and marvel not only at the intricate and complex minarets, domes and arches, but at the presence of a powerful spirit.

It is a construction to unite the world, using artisans and materials from countries including Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, Greece and the UAE.

The 22,412 square metre mosque is strategically placed to be a lighthouse — not only to Muslims but all visitors. It is going to become an identity, a beacon and a symbol of the nation's tolerance.

The mosque, which was initiated by the late Shaikh Zayed, fondly remembered as the father of the UAE, can accommodate 40,960 worshippers — including 7,126 in
main prayer hall, 1,960 in the open prayer hall, 980 female worshippers in the open prayer hall, 22,729 worshippers in open sahan (courtyard), 682 in the main prayer hall entrance and 784 in mosque's main hall entrance.

The first plans to build the mosque began in the late '80s and much thought was given to its location and its design over the next decade.

The initial architectural design was agreed upon and the inaugural cornerstone laid in the late '90s.

Although the original design was Moroccan, the final look incorporated many global features though the exterior walls are of traditional Turkish design.

More than 3,000 workers and 38 contracting companies took part in the construction work of the mosque, the site of which equates to around the scale of five football fields.

Marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics are used throughout.

The mosque has 82 domes all of traditional Moroccan design — all decorated with white marble — and the prayer halls are decorated with Italian white marble and inlaid with floral designs.

Coloured floral marble and mosaics pave the 17,000 square metre courtyard, which is decorated with white marble from Greece.

The interior walls have decorative 24 carat gold-and-glass mosaic features which are more delicate on the west wall. twenty-four carat gold, gold leaf and gold-glass mosaic was also used in the Mehrab (the niche found in the middle of the Qibla wall) and the crescents topping the domes.

The 99 names (qualities) of Allah are featured on the Qibla wall using traditional Kufi calligraphy and are subtly back-illuminated using fibre-optic lighting.

Some 7,874 square metres of ponds laid with dark tiles surround the mosque, which is spectacularly reflected by the pools.

The main dome's outer shell is 32.8 metres in diameter and stands at a height of 70 metres from the inside and 85 metres from the outside. It is the largest of its kind in the world, according to Turkey's Research Centre for Islamic History and Culture.

The mosque has four minarets on the four corners with a height of nearly 107 metres each.

What lies beneath

The main prayer hall's carpet, which is made of 35 tonnes of wool and cotton, is the world's largest hand-woven carpet at 7,119 square metres.

Designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi, the carpet was woven by 1,200 artisans in Mashhad in Iran, a region renowned for its carpet-making expertise.

The carpet pieces were flown to Abu Dhabi with artisans to hand-stitch the pieces together for the final fitting. It cost Dh30 million.

Light fantastic

The seven twenty-four-carat-gold-plated chandeliers, which feature thousands of Swarovski crystals, were imported from Germany at a cost of about Dh30 million.

The mosque's largest chandelier - which is the biggest in the world — is under the main dome. It is 10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height and weighs nearly nine tonnes.

Take a tour

The Shaikh Zayed Mosque holds guided tours for Muslims and non-Muslims.

  • Tours are at 10am, Saturday to Thursday.
  • Visitors are asked to be at the mosque 15 minutes before the tours start.
  • Visitors need to book the free tours by emailing zayedmosquetour@adta.ae.
  • Photography is allowed.
  • Visitors are asked to dress modestly.

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