All you Need to Know about Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world and considers to be an artistic masterpiece internationally. It blends three art schools of Islamic civilization to create this amazing final building.

If you are in U.A.E, this is a must-see attraction that you’ll never regret. We have gathered all the facts and information about the site, in case you want to know anything before going. you can checkout now with our tour operators in Dubai.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Facts

• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest in the U.A.E. beside Burj Khalifa for being the tallest. the complex occupies an area of 290 by 420 meters.
• The capacity of the mosque is huge while it can accommodate up to 40,000 visitors and 10,000 prayers.
• The material used to build the mosque were sourced from many countries. Some of them are from Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy.
• The beautiful rare design of the grand mosque combines three different styles from different Islamic eras, The Mukluks, the Ottomans, and the Fatimid.
• The mosque has the largest hand-knotted carpet in the world, situated in the prayer hall. The carpet was made in Iran under the supervision of the Iran artist Ali Khaliqi. It took 20 months to be designed and knotted between the hands of 1,200 workers.
• The mosque houses one of the largest chandeliers in the world, located in the prayer hall. It’s made in Germany’s finest crystal chandeliers specialized factories (Faustig of Munich) and weighs about 12 tons.
• Sheikh Zayed grand mosque has more than 80 domes.
• The mosque is designed by a Syrian architect called Yousef Abdelky.
• The construction began in 1996 and took more than 11 years.
• About 38 contracts with global companies were signed to construct the mosque.
• The mosque needed more than 3,000 workers to be completed.
• It was named after the father founder and the first ruler of the U.A.E. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan. His final resting place is nearby the mosque.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque Design

The Mosque Domes

The main design element of the Sheikh Zayed grand mosque that steals the eyes looks in the massive numbers of Domes. The largest one of course is in the center. The Domes are shaped as crowns and made of white marble cladding and decorated with gold-glass mosaic.

The mosque design is inspired by different Islamic art periods: The Mamelukes, Ottoman, and Fatimid to create art fusion and beauty of the Islamic civilization in general.

The Mosque Colors and Minarets

The color schemes of gold and white give an impression of something precious and luxury, and we can clearly see that on the column inside the mosque which they are decorated with golden crowns in the bottom and flower shapes on the top.

The mosque has four minarets. Each one is decorated with different geometric shapes and reaches to almost 106 meters tall. Each shape of the minaret reflects the Islamic art of a certain period of Islamic history.

Tips before visiting Sheikh Zayed grand mosque

• The mosque of Sheikh Zayed is located in Abu Dhabi, but if you are in Dubai, don’t let that stop you from going. It is 150 Km away and really worth visiting. You can take a taxi or a bus for 90 minutes, and you’ll be there. It is also a great chance to have Abu Dhabi city tour.
• Have breakfast before you go visiting the mosque. The area around the mosques is not really walkable. Large distance between everything and you may go for miles just to get coffee. So, have your coffee before you go.
• This religious attraction is completely free to enter.
• Better to be visited on the weekend to avoid crowds, but the mosque is spacious enough compared to the size of its visitors means it rarely gets crowded.
• Mosques open every day from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM for visitors except for Fridays it opens from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM.
• Visitor’s timings are different in Ramadan month. It opens from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and closed on Fridays.
• Wear sunglasses and sunblock. If you are going on safari trip Dubai or will be exposed to the sun, we make sure that you wear enough sunscreen and suitable clothes for the trip. The mosque has a large area that is exposed to the sun. So, you have to be protected.
• Be sure to stick to the dress code when visiting the mosque. Women should cover up and wear headscarves.

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Don’t miss the great opportunity to visit one of Abu Dhabi landmarks and great symbolism of Islamic civilization and Dubai culture. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has so many cool facts to know about, and you’ll be enjoying discovering the huge place around.