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Abu Dhabi: The Sheikh Zayed Mosque, or Grand Mosque as it is often called, is an impressive sight when driving into Abu Dhabi. The words ’huge’, ’enormous’, ’massive’, etc seem to understate the size of the mosque substantially. You’ll understand when you drive past it.

Located in a strategic area, between the two bridges in the capital (Mussafah Bridge and Maqta Bridge) the huge imposing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the largest and grandest mosques in the world.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates, who is also buried next to the mosque (outer left side). The mosque was opened for worship since Eid Al Adha December 2007

The Design

The design of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque has been inspired by both Mughal 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.

Dimensions

The Mosque is large enough to accommodate 40,000 worshippers. The main prayer hall can accommodate up to 9,000 worshippers. Two rooms next to the main prayer hall, with a 1,500-capacity each, are for the exclusive use of women.
The beautiful mosque is completely clad in the finest white marble covering an area of more than 22,000sq m and includes four 107m-tall minarets and 57 domes. Elaborate extensive floral designs decked with precious stones adorn the several walls, pillars and the 7,000 sq m courtyard of the mosque.

The beautiful mosque is completely clad in the finest white marble covering an area of more than 22,000sq m and includes four 107m-tall minarets and 57 domes. Elaborate extensive floral designs decked with precious stones adorn the several walls, pillars and the 7,000 sq m courtyard of the mosque. The domes are decorated with white Bianco marble from Pietrasanta, Italy and the interior decoration is made of white marble from Laas, Italy. The courtyard is paved with floral marble designs and measures about 17,000 m2 (180,000 sq ft).

World records

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque made some world records:

The carpet laid out on the vast expanse is the "World’s Largest Carpet" made by Iran’s Carpet Company and designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi. This carpet measures 5,627 m2 (60,570 sq ft), and was made by around 1,200 weavers, 20 technicians, and 30 workers. The weight of this carpet is 47 tons – 35 tons of wool, and 12 tons of cotton. There are 2,268,000,000 knots within the carpet.

This mosque also held the largest chandelier. There are seven imported chandeliers from Germany made from gold-plated copper and fitted with millions of Swarovski crystals. The largest chandelier has a 10 m (33 ft) diameter and a 15 m (49 ft) height.  The chandelier was relegated to second place when the current record holder was unveiled in Doha
Both of these records were previously held by the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman.

Tours  of the Grand Mosque available, daily at 0900 and 1000 (except during Ramadan - daily 11am).

Visit the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority information bureaus for more details, or try the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.