Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center

I went on a tour of Abu Dhabi today, including a guided tour at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center.  The center was founded by the late Sheikh Zayed in part as a place for all people, Muslim and non-Muslim, to come together and learn about the faith and traditions of Islam, as well as Abu Dhabi. The architectural design is indescribable and inspiring. All of the floral designs in the columns in and around the mosque are made of precious stones from around the world. All of the white that you see is marble and all of the gold on the interior is 24K.

 

All women entering the mosque were required to wear an abaya (traditional robe) and a shayla (headscarf) out of respect for this place of worship

Before entering the first prayer hall, my tour guide asked us to imagine what we think heaven looks like. She explained that the Qur'an (the Islamic holy book) describes heaven as a garden and that the architect designed the hall according to the Qur'an. I must admit that I was almost brought to tears thinking about how beautiful heaven must be.

I do believe Sheikh Zayed Mosque accomplishes its mission of educating all people about Islam. I plan to return to the mosque for Iftar (breaking of the daily fast during Ramadan) this week and possibly an Eid celebration (the end of Ramadan), as the mosque provides free food to over tens of thousands of people. Of course, pictures are to come!