Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

1 0 7 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I worshippers to form neat rows while at prayer. As with every other aspect of the Grand Mosque, every element was meticulously planned as both an amazing piece of craftsmanship and a rich signifier of culture and faith. On your visit, don’t forget to look up: a number of astonishing chandeliers can be found on the ceilings of the mosque, by Faustig of Munich, the German designers who also crafted chandeliers for mosques in Oman and Sana’a. The largest of these hangs above the carpet in the main prayer hall, which has capacity for 40,000 worshippers, to give you an idea of the scale. The impossibly beautiful fixture was constructed from steel, brass, and glass panels studded with more than 10 million Swarovski crystals. Another 96 columns are on display within the main prayer room. These are cladded with luminous mother-of-pearl, which reminds one that the UAE’s heritage of pearl diving goes back more than 1,000 years and helped sustain the population for a millennium. In a technique particular to Islamic architecture, the crowns of the columns are at the bottom, rather than the top. Along the Qibla wall, which is the wall that faces Mecca, the 99 names of Allah are inscribed in traditional Kufi-style calligraphy, illuminated by subtle lighting. The minbar, the pulpit from which the imam leads the worshippers in prayer, is adorned with intricate floral and shell patterns fashioned of carved cedar inlaid with mother of pearl, glass mosaic and white gold. A miniature version of the exterior domes sits at the top of the minbar, which the imam reaches by climbing 11 stairs. The Grand Mosque as a House of Worship For all its many architectural marvels, the Grand Mosque is above all else a place of devotion and prayer for the faithful. On Fridays, which are very important in the Muslim religion, the prayer areas are closed to tourists and thousands of the faithful come to pray and listen to the imam’s sermon, which reflects on social and religious