Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

1 1 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary Over in the western minarets, visitors will find the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC), an oasis of scholarship and education devoted to Sheikh Zayed’s vision of tolerance and understanding among cultures. Alongside the Grand Mosque, the Centre is commemorating its 10th anniversary as well. To mark the occasion, His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, launched an extraordinary exhibition, “Hajj: Memories of a Journey,” which was organized by SZGMC and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority. The exhibit displays an array of photographs, artworks, and manuscripts documenting the history of the Hajj pilgrimage, which is the journey devout Muslims take to Mecca. Visitors will see this profound experience brought to life through the centuries, from 7th-century friezes and panels excavated on Sir Bani Yas Island to rare footage taken by Sheikh Zayed himself in 1979. PHOTOGRAPHY: JAY VITHALDAS