A look inside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque before Donald Trump’s visit to the UAE

Dubai: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a vision of the UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, opened for worship during Eid Al Adha in 2007. Today, it stands as one of the world’s largest mosques and a prominent symbol of Islamic architecture and unity, drawing millions of worshippers and visitors annually.

As the UAE prepares for the visit of US President Donald Trump, the mosque once again takes the global spotlight. It has welcomed world leaders over the years, including members of the Trump administration. In 2020, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner visited the mosque during official visits to the UAE.

The mosque was created to embody the values of peace, tolerance, and religious unity. Designed to accommodate up to 55,000 worshippers at a time, it welcomes people of all backgrounds and faiths who wish to admire its artistic beauty and learn about Islamic culture.

Located in the capital emirate of Abu Dhabi, the mosque is designed to embody the values of tolerance, moderation, and cultural inclusiveness. It features a central prayer hall that can accommodate around 7,800 worshippers, along with two smaller halls - one for men and one for women, each with a capacity of 1,500.

Additionally, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo, Indonesia, which was inaugurated in 2022, honours the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This mosque incorporates design elements from its Abu Dhabi counterpart while embracing traditional Indonesian architectural influences.

The planning and design of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque began in the late 1980s, and construction officially commenced on November 5, 1996. It took approximately 11 years to complete and involved over 3,000 workers and 38 construction companies from across the globe.

Built on an elevated platform roughly 10 meters above sea level, the mosque spans more than 555,000 square meters. Its construction reflects a unifying spirit, with materials and craftsmanship sourced from countries such as Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, China, Greece, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, as well as the UAE itself.

This international collaboration was essential in creating a structure that embodies both Islamic heritage and global unity through architecture and design.

The mosque features 82 domes of varying sizes, the largest of which crowns the main prayer hall. This central dome is approximately 32.6 meters in diameter and rises to a height of 84 meters. Each dome is adorned with Quranic verses in classical Arabic calligraphy styles such as Naskh, Thuluth, and Kufi, carved into reinforced Moroccan plaster.

The four towering minarets, each rising 107 meters high, combine square, octagonal, and cylindrical shapes. Traditionally used by the muezzin to call for prayer, these minarets now house modern speaker systems that project the call across the mosque complex.

More than 165,000 square meters of white marble from Macedonia cover the mosque's exterior domes, minarets, and walls. Inside, Italian marble is used extensively, while the vast courtyard (Sahan) features intricate mosaic inlays made from marble imported from India, China, and Greece. The floral designs in the courtyard further reflect the mosque’s fusion of cultural and artistic traditions.

A total of 1,096 columns flank the mosque’s outer arcades. These six-sided pillars are clad in white marble and inlaid with semi-precious stones in floral patterns. The golden capitals are shaped to resemble palm fronds, made from anodized aluminum. This design is influenced by both Italian Renaissance techniques and Mughal architectural elements found in monuments such as the Taj Mahal.

Surrounding the mosque are ten reflective pools, tiled in rich shades of blue, which add a sense of tranquility and help moderate the visual impact of the white marble during the day. At night, the pools reflect the mosque’s distinctive lighting system, enhancing its serene and majestic appearance.

One of the most innovative features of the mosque is its lunar lighting system, designed to reflect the phases of the moon. More than 840 lighting units, along with 22 dedicated light towers, project bluish cloud-like patterns onto the white marble surface. The lighting changes subtly throughout the lunar month, dimmer during the crescent phase and brighter at the full moon, creating a dynamic, living ambiance.

Inside the main prayer hall lies the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet, officially recognised by Guinness World Records in 2007. Spanning 5,400 square meters and weighing around 35 tons, the carpet was created by 1,200 artisans over a period of two years. Made from 70% New Zealand wool and 30% cotton, it features floral and Islamic medallion motifs. Raised ridges subtly mark the rows where worshippers stand during prayer, blending form with function.

The mosque contains seven monumental chandeliers, the largest of which hangs in the main prayer hall. Measuring 12 meters in diameter and 15.5 meters high, it includes 15,500 LED lights and is adorned with millions of Swarovski crystals. Inspired by the shape of a date palm, each chandelier features a blend of floral patterns and traditional Islamic artistry. Smaller versions of the design are also placed throughout the mosque, adding elegance and symmetry to the vast interiors.