Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, located in Abu Dhabi is the largest mosque of the United Arab Emirates. The mosque is the key place for Muslims to worship. Almost 41000 people visit it daily. The mosque remains open for visitors, however, they can’t get in except prayers time. Whenever you visit the UAE, you should visit this mosque.
History, Design, and Construction
A Syrian architect Yousef Abdelky designed Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Its dimension is 950 ft by 1380 ft, spreading on 30 acres area. The construction of the mosque was completed in 11 years. It started in 1996 and completed in 2007. 3000 workers and 38 subcontracting companies took part in its construction. However, Impregilo from Italy was the lead contractor. It is not just a mosque it also works as an educational center. There is a library near it to educate the people about Islam. Moreover, the library has collections of 200 years back in various languages.
The design of the mosque is a combination of Persian, Mughal & Egypt mosques. However, it has more influence from Badshahi mosque Lahore, Pakistan. For full details visit here.
Interior Design of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center
The mosque has some lavish interior. It has many special and unique elements. The carpet in the main hall is the world’s largest carpet. Moreover, the Irani company designed that carpet. A huge of gold has been used to decorate its walls and pillars. It has an immense amount of mosaic tiles and glasswork. while there is no count of expensive marble.
The mosque has seven German imported chandeliers. However, one of them is the world’s largest chandeliers.
Timing and fee to visit mosque
The visit to Sheikh Zayed Masjid is totally free. There are guides who lead to various parts of the mosque. The time to visit the mosque is as under:-
- Saturday – Thursday 9:00 am to 10:00 pm
On Friday, it remains closed for tourists but open for worshippers.
SZGM is the masterpiece of modern architecture. You can find here the old style with a modern blend. So, whenever you plan to visit the UAE see the mosque. You should include this mosque on your list. Many celebrities have visited this mosque also. it is a treat to watch.
In 2013, the famous singer Rihana visited it. But her visit had a controversy. If you want to know more about the UAE click here.
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