Simply Abu Dhabi II

66 SIMPLY ABU DHABI OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY at a mag ical mosque Arriving at the Mosque in glorious sunshine, our senses were overwhelmed by the vision of such a majestic construction – it is almost dream-like and certainly enchanting. Artificial lakes surround the Mosque and resplendent coloured floral marble and mosaics pave the 17,000 square metre courtyard. Perceived as a construction to ‘unite the world’ we were pleased to see that visitors from all over the world had come to pay homage to this incredible landmark. The inaugural cornerstone laid in the late 1990s and the original architectural design was Moroccan, but has since evolved to include other global features, such as exterior walls influenced by a traditional Turkish design. Due to their durability, natural materials were selected for the construction of the Mosque and the magnificent stone work incorporates all sorts of intricately beautiful marble, granite and semi-precious gems and is a sight to behold. Architecture inspired by both Mughal nad Moorish Mosques fuses to create a truly unique Arab structure. Part of the sight-seeing experience has to be taking a few moments to stand back and appreciate the splendour before you. This is exactly what we did, the sheer size and majesty of the Mosque taking our breath away. After appreciating its beauty we were eager to get inside and take some time to contemplate and pray. A divine inspiration As is the custom, we removed our shoes and entered the Mosque, immediately struck by the opulence of the lavish carpet, inlaid marble and magnificent chandeliers that adorn the interior of the building. The Mosque’s interior walls have decorative 24 carat gold-glass mosaic features. Italian white marble and the prayer walls are embellished with inlaid floral designs and the main prayer hall also features the world’s largest hand-woven Persian carpet which we were told is 7,119 square metres – pretty impressive! But more importantly, we were humbled by the sense of divinity within the walls. Women must be fully covered to respect the conventions and there are two separate prayer rooms next to the main prayer hall for their exclusive use. Large enough to accommodate 40,000 worshippers, we were reminded how lucky we are to be experiencing such grandeur. Engaging in silent prayer is an important ritual for us and what a place to do so. Truly humbling, the harmonic and tranquil environment provided the perfect setting to focus on our private thoughts. Praying within the Mosque was a real honour for us and an occasion we will hold in our hearts forever. Non- Muslims can visit outside of prayer times Saturday to Thursday and are sure to find it a fascinating experience. Free tours throughout the day The tours of the Mosque that start at 10am are free, so make sure you take the time to enjoy a session discovering more about this historically important place of worship and its influence in Abu Dhabi. The tours are informative and thought-provoking for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. We were fascinated to hear all about the construction of the Mosque – which is still a work in progress – and how the design has been influenced by ideas and materials from around the world. Gold, crystals and ceramics feature heavily in the design and make for an impressive atmosphere. We were told that materials from countries including Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, Greece and the UAE combine to create a global masterpiece. Characteristically Moorish archways and classically Arab minarets make up the impressive dome layout and we discovered how the floor plan was inspired by the Badshahi Mosque. Our friendly and educated tour guide had our full attention throughout the tour and our fellow visitors were equally engaged, eyes darting around feeding on the magnificence of the architecture and design. Our guide was more than willing to answer questions as he filled the group in on the history of the Mosque and the importance of Islam.