"OUVIR ESTRELAS ...": October 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Sheik Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the eighth largest mosque in the world. It is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and the first President of the UAE, who is also buried there. The mosque was officially opened in the Islamic month of Ramadan in 2007.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority announced that tours of the mosques will be given to both Muslims and non-Muslims in order to promote cultural and religious understanding.

The mosque is large enough to accommodate 40.000 worshippers. The man prayer hall can accommodate up to 9.000 worshippers. Two room next to the main prayer hall, with a 1.500-capacity each, are for the exclusive use of women.

There are four minarets on the four corners of the mosque which rise about 115 m (380 ft) in height. There are 57 domes covering the outside yard and the main building as well. The domes are decorated with white marble and the interior decoration is also made of marble. The courtyard is paved with floral marble designs and measures about 17.000 m2 (180.000 sq ft).

Beautiful…. I wish I could visit there one day…Who knows???

source: Wikipedia