The Grand Mosque, completed in 2007, is a spectacular combination of various architectural concepts from around the world. Also known as the Mosque of Sheikh Zayed who had pioneered the structuring of this mosque, this is the largest religious shrine in entire UAE.
- Dimensions – The mosque is structured around 180,000 sq. ft. of area and the minarets on the corner are at a height of 351ft each.
- Capacity – At a time, nearly 40,000 worshippers can pray at this Mosque; the area is divided for women and men. The praying area of men can hold 7000 at a time whereas that for the ladies is subdivided into two parts with a capacity to hold 1500 worshippers each.
- Grandeur – The Iranian carpet inside the mosque is considered to be the world largest carpet. Besides, there are seven enormous chandeliers encrusted with Swarovski crystals from Germany. The embedded precious pearls on the columns of the mosque and the calligraphic writings in Quibla will also mesmerize you.
Some useful information for your visit
- There are many hotels around the mosque and you can choose amongst them. You can even plan your tour from Dubai which is 150 km away, but Abu Dhabi is comparatively closer to the mosque.
- There are no fees to visit the mosque. There is access to wheelchairs which are available for free within the premises of the mosque.
- You can offer your prayer on Fridays but cannot tour inside the mosque. It is open to visitors on Friday only after 4:30 PM. However, the official hours of visit from Sunday to Thursday are from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and on Saturday it is 10:00 – 11:00 AM, 02:00 – 5:00 PM – 07:00 PM. During Ramadan the visiting hours on normal days are only from 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM and is officially closed on Fridays.
Things to do before the visit
- If you are a photographer and want to capture your memories, then visit the Grand Mosque around the sunset time
- You must be dressed in fully covered clothes and leave your footwear outside the mosque premises. Choose from loose clothes covered till foot and headscarf for women.
- Wearing sunglasses can be helpful since the marbles reflect light and it might be difficult to explore and admire the architecture.
Actual tours are those which strengthens your mind and enlightens your soul, so book your tour planner well in advance. Only then can you make the most of your trip to the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.