Soak up the history
From the splendour of Sheikh Zayed Mosque to the charm of Bastakiya and the hidden treasures of Deira, while Dubai looks to the future, the city’s past is always there to be discovered
Explore Abu Dhabi’s Religious GemThe new Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the third biggest mosque in the world, and is impressive from the get-go. With its stunning Italian marble façade covering over 22,000 square metres, four 107 metre-tall minarets and 82 domes (one being the largest mosque dome in the world), the Sheikh Zayed Mosque dominates the Abu Dhabi skyline. Decorated with thousands of rare and semi-precious stones and what is thought to be the world’s largest Persian carpet (with an impressive span of 6,000 square metres), the mosque can accommodate up to 9,000 men at prayer and is estimated to have cost Dhs2 billion.
A fitting tribute to the mosque’s namesake Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first president of the UAE, who is buried there.
The mosque is open to all visitors (though conservative dress is required) and is complimentary. Tours can be booked by emailing zayedmosquetour@adta.ae and run from Saturday to Thursday, starting at 10am. and run from Saturday to Thursday, starting at 10am.
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