Cover: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. As a capital city, it is an economically and culturally significant metropolis in the region. Be it a Mosques, a Palace or a Hotel, they have one thing in common which is opulent architecture! 

You can do the Abu Dhabi and its sights in 3 to 4 days.

• • Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: This iconic mosque is one of the largest in the world and a showcase of Islamic architecture. Stunning white marble exterior, inlays, and beautiful chandeliers. Women need to head cover their head and wear and attire that covers the body all the way down to the feet. The hands need to be covered to the wrist.
  • Qasr Al Watan: This palace is the presidential palace of the UAE and a cultural landmark. Opulent interiors, meeting rooms and banquet halls for dignitaries, descriptions and artifacts that showcase the achievements of this region over time, like astronomy and geometry, a section talking of travels and the Arabian nights, a library and so on.
  • Emirates Palace: The Emirates Palace is a luxurious hotel speaks of grandeur. You do not need to be a hotel guest to tour its vast lobby and the outside. You can visit one of its restaurants and also get a traditional afternoon tea.
  • Yas Island: A popular entertainment destination, and is home to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, a amusement park, Yas Waterworld, a water park with exciting slides and rides, and Yas Marina Circuit, where you can experience the thrill of driving on a Formula 1 track. Yas Marina has upscale restaurants, bars, and lounges.
  • Corniche Beach: Stretching along the waterfront, Corniche Beach is a public beach with white sand. It offers views of the city skyline and is a great place to relax.
  • Saadiyat Cultural District: This cultural hub is home to museums like the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (upcoming), and the Zayed National Museum (upcoming). It aims to promote art, culture, and education.
  • Mangrove National Park: Here one can explore the mangroves by kayak or on a guided boat tour, and spot various bird species, including flamingos.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

In the Grand Mosque, it is essential for women to cover their entire bodies, including the head such that no hair is visible. While I almost had it right, I was told that my hands were not entirely covered till the wrist though I had on 3/4th sleeves! I ended up purchasing handwear that are like open ended socks. I bought something for 10 dirham that matched the color of my dress :-). It was the month of July and I felt incredibly hot in 100 deg F temps.

The mosque is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father and first president of the United Arab Emirates. He envisioned the mosque as a symbol of Islamic and Emirati culture and a place of tolerance, interfaith dialogue, understanding and peaceful coexistence. It has a ‘Tolerance Pathway’ which shows various world leaders, religious leaders et al having visited it.

It is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. The mosque’s exterior is made of gleaming white marble, while the interior is adorned with intricate floral patterns, calligraphy, and traditional Islamic motifs. The mosque has 82 white marble domes and four minarets. It houses one of the world’s largest chandeliers, made of Swarovski crystals, hanging from the central dome. A couple of other features worth a mention are the meaning of the prayer clocks and floral chandeliers. The analog hands indicate the current time and the digital displays indicate prayer times. Each prayer time has a name such as Dhuhr, Asr etc. The floral chandeliers, flowers from the middle eastern desert, and the northern and southern hemispheres are meant to convey a unifying message. The main prayer hall has a Qibla wall which faces the holy city of Mecca and is also the direction of prayer. The many qualities of Allah are written on the flowers that adorn this wall.

The Emirates Palace Hotel

Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace

Qasr Al Watan, the Presidential Palace or Palace of the Nation, is a working palace and serves as a venue for official state events and important meetings hosted by the UAE.  It houses many of the formal offices of the government. The architecture is a blend of traditional Islamic design and modern. The palace allows visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s heritage, knowledge, and international relations. There is a huge banquet hall to entertain dignitaries. The interior is unbelievably ornate.

The sections describing accomplishments in music, story writing, geometry, astronomy and travel over times, was very interesting to me. Who hasn’t grown up reading the 1001 stories of The Arabian Nights?! It has captivated our imagination as children as we read and re-read the fabled Sindbad the sailor, Aladdin and the magic lamp, Alibaba and the forty thieves and many more.  There is also a vast library with an extensive collection of books.