It was an honor to participate in the service at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in the city of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
On a sunny afternoon in June, I had the opportunity to visit the largest mosque in the UAE, big enough to accommodate over 40,000 visitors. The largest mosque in the UAE and third largest in the world, the complex covers over 22,400sqm. The main prayer hall can hold more than 7,000 worshippers, and there are two smaller prayer halls with a capacity of 1,500 each. Such is the mosque’s size that more than 100,000 tonnes of Greek and Macedonian marble were used in its construction.
When you enter Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, you will understand why it is such a special place. Here, people from all walks of life come together to take in the architecture's beauty and gain a deeper understanding of religion and culture in the United Arab Emirates. The mosque is one of the world's largest and was the vision of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan - the Founding Father of the UAE. He envisaged the creation of a welcoming and cultural haven that inspires people from all backgrounds.
Even the construction was a cultural collaboration. The grand structure was designed and built by skilled teams from all over the world, including 1,300 Iranian artisans who hand-knotted the main prayer hall's carpet - the world's largest.
On your journey through the marbled halls, you'll see one-of-a-kind treasures, including gold-plated Swarovski chandeliers, the courtyard's vast marble mosaic artwork and reflective pools that mirror some of the many amethyst-and-jasper-embedded columns. When you're outside, look up to see the mosque's four stunning minarets that proudly stand at 106 meters.
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