The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
One of the largest mosques in the world is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The architecture and design of this impressive mosque captures the interactions between Islam and other cultures. It was built under the instruction of the founding father of the U.A.E Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. His vision was to create a place that celebrates the cultural influences and diversity of the region. The architects who built and designed it were from different parts of the world and they incorporated ideas from Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, and Pakistan. Aspects of European design were also added to the mix, for a unique architectural masterpiece.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the major highlights of any trip to Abu Dhabi if not the entire UAE. This great religious monument can accommodate over 40,000 people in one sitting. At over 22,400sqm, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the third largest mosque in the world and the largest in UAE, it has 82 domes, sky-high minarets, and over 100,000 tonnes of Greek and Macedonian white marble.
Construction took 12 years to finish, the main prayer hall’s carpet which is the largest in the world was hand-knitted by 1,300 Iranian craftsmen using New Zealand wool. It’s so heavy that it had to be dismantled, flown in on two aeroplanes, then stitched again on arrival. This breathtaking masterpiece of modern Islamic architecture is unbelievable.
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