Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

1 0 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I The Artistry of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Eleven years in the making, the breathtaking Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque will be a familiar sight to anyone who has been to Abu Dhabi in the last decade. It occupies a site close to the Maqta Bridge, the first link between Abu Dhabi Island and the mainland, such that even the location itself is rich with symbolism about the unification of the Emirates – as well as the link between the UAE and the rest of the world. What’s more, the site has an emotional connection as well, as the burial place of His Highness Sheikh Zayed and a reminder that his spirit is always with us. The pristine white colour of the structure was chosen specifically because it is a universal symbol of peace, while the reflecting pools that surround the mosque intensify the feeling of calming illumination, as the sunlight echoes off the water to the walls, gold-tipped domes, and minarets. In the evenings, a specially designed lighting system evokes the phases of the moon, changing in aspect as the month progresses. As the moon moves through its cycle and becomes full, the