Abu Dhabi - The Sheikh Zayed Mosque

11/05/2014 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

A dream of white marble: The Sheikh Zayed Mosque
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With blinking eyes, we stand in front of it. Like fresh fallen snow, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi reflects the dazzling light of the sun. The mirrored marble floor shimmers in the desert heat as we, dressed in our black Abaya, head towards the entrance. The white mosque appears like a heavenly palace against the radiant blue sky. White - the color of peace for Muslims.

With dimensions of 224 meters by 174 meters, it is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates and the third largest in the world. Only the holy prayer houses in Mecca and Casablanca are larger. 40,000 worshipers can find a place to pray in the halls and on the gigantic courtyard. It's no wonder that the size of the parking lot is equivalent to that of a stadium. The main dome above the prayer hall has a diameter of 32.2 meters and is considered the second largest mosque dome in the world.

Over 80 domes and more than 1,000 columns adorn the building. In addition, four white minarets rise more than 100 meters high into the sky. I particularly like the contrast between the bright blue water and the snow-white marble.

The mosque was named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi who passed away in 2004. He laid the foundation stone for the construction of the mosque in 1996 and thus created a work of art that is unmatched in the world. Sheikh Zayed was a visionary. It's fitting that the mosque was his final wish in 2004 - a place of worship that should be open to visitors of all world religions. I find that very appealing.

The construction used the highest quality materials, including 15 different types of marble and lots of gold leaf. The interior of the mosque is covered with a 5,627 square meter handmade carpet from Iran. It is considered the world's largest of its kind and weighs 47 tons. The mosque is also adorned with seven chandeliers imported from Germany. They are made of gilded brass and stainless steel and are flower-shaped with thousands of different colored Swarovski crystals. The largest of the chandeliers was built by the company Faustig from Munich. With a diameter of ten meters and a height of 15 meters, it is considered the largest chandelier in the world.

The sunlight shines through the painted glass windows. In fact, all rooms of the mosque are flooded with daylight, making them bright and friendly. We continue to stroll through this impressive complex in amazement before taking a taxi to Dubai Creek and checking into our hotel.