SimplyAbuDhabi XIV

3 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I welcoming, guests not engaged in religious observance are invited to visit other areas of the mosque, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre We had the honour on our tour of visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre. Sponsored and monitored by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Centre was established as a testament to the spirit of education and understanding between cultures, as a legacy to the life’s work of Sheikh Zayed. The vision and mission of the Centre was created from the cultural and national values preserved and nurtured by the late Sheikh Zayed, reverently remembered as the ‘Father of the UAE’. These values are still deeply rooted in the consciousness of the people of the United Arab Emirates, and are an extension of a national identity that is inspired by the teachings of its religion. According to the decree that proclaimed its founding, the Centre aims to emphasise the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s deeds and contributions to humanity, in a way that commemorates his legacy and memory. By cooperating with research centres, as well as religious, educational and cultural institutions, the Centre aspires to enhance cross- cultural communication and to introduce the Centre as a cultural tourism destination. To this end, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre hosts exhibitions to commemorate the social and cultural contributions of the late Sheikh Zayed, highlighting his historical and civic achievements, and organises professional forums and cultural partnerships with religious institutions that share the Centre’s objectives, both inside the UAE and abroad. In cooperation with international academic religious centres, the Centre works toward the creation of an Islamic institute, supporting the printing and translation of the Holy Quran, as well as books, research works, magazines, manuals and audio-visual publications, to develop its research library which advances the cause of education about Islam.