Life in Dubai: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (جامع الشيخ زايد الكبير), Abu Dhabi, vol. 1

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (جامع الشيخ زايد الكبير), Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was initiated by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( he was the principal driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates and first president of the UAE- he held a post for over 30 years, from 1971 to 2004). His final resting place is located on the grounds beside the mosque. It is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates and the eighth largest mosque in the world.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (SZGMC) offices are located in the east minarets. SZGMC manages the day to day operations, as a place of worship and Friday gathering and also a center of learning and discovery through its educational cultural activities and visitor programs.

The library, located in the north/east minaret, serves the community with classic books and publications addressing a range of Islamic subjects: sciences, civilization, calligrapht, arts, coins and includes some rare publications dating back more than 200 years. In reflection of the diversity of the Islamic world and the United Arab Emirates, the collection comprises material in a broad range of languages including Arabic, English, French, Italian, Spanish, German and Korean.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque's design and construction 'unites the world', using artisans and materials from many countries including Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Malaysia, Iran, China, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Greece and United Arab Emirates. More than 3,000 workers and 38 renowned contracting companies took part in the construction of the mosque. Natural materials were chosen for much of its design and construction due to their long-lasting qualities, including marble stone, gold, semi – precious stones, crystals and ceramics.

The design of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque has been inspired by both Mughal (Taj Mahal at Agra is the epitome of Mughal Architecture) and Moorish mosque architecture, particularly the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca being direct influences. The dome layout and floorplan of the mosque was inspired by the Badshahi Mosque and the architecture was inspired by both Mughal and Moorish design. Its archways are quintessentially Moorish and its minarets classically Arab. The design of the mosque can be best described as a fusion of Arab, Mughal and Moorish architecture.

The mosque is large enough to accommodate over 40,000 worshipers. The main prayer hall can accommodate over 7,000 worshipers. There are two smaller prayer halls, with a 1,500-capacity each, one of which is the female prayer hall.

There are four minarets on the four corners of the courtyard which rise about 107 m in height. The courtyard, with its floral design, measures about 17,000 m² and is considered to be the largest example of marble mosaic in the world.

The pools along the arcades reflect the mosque's spectacular columns, which becomes even more glorious at night. The unique lightning system was designed by lightning architects Jonathon Speirs and Major to reflect the phases of the moon. Beautiful bluish gray clouds are projected in lights onto the external walls and get brighter and darker according to the phase of the moon.