Abu Dhabi: US Vice-President Joe Biden, and his accompanying delegation, on Monday visited the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
They were accompanied by Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Barbara A. Leaf, US Ambassador to the UAE, and Yousuf Al Obaidly, director-general of the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre.
The guests toured the mosque’s halls and corridors of the mosque. Biden was briefed on the beginnings of its foundation, and components of this religious and cultural edifice. He acquainted himself with the diverse and architectural styles used in its construction.
The tour also included the outer courtyard of the mosque, where Biden was briefed by one of the cultural guides on the pillars that straddle the courtyard of the mosque, clad in white marble and decorated with floral carvings and colourful mosaic.
Biden and his entourage also visited the tomb of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, where they recalled his qualities and values and deeds, which contributed to the promotion of the culture of tolerance, coexistence and peace among the different peoples of the world.
Biden was presented a copy of the book Spaces of Light, one of the publications of the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, which includes a number of shots and pictures on the ‘Spaces of Light Photography’, organised by the centre annually, and highlights the aesthetics of Islamic architecture in the mosque. Biden was also presented with another copy of the book titled The Houses of God, which deals with the history of mosques in Islamic history, including the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
