Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE:
Dozens of Westerners, including black-clad women, have been flocking to
Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, an architectural masterpiece graced
with a Persian carpet said to be the biggest in the world. The mosque
named after the United Arab Emirates' late founding father, Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan al-Nahayan, is not off-limits to non-Muslims.
The
mosque is built on a 9.5-metre high hill so it is visible from far, it
covers an area of 22,000 square metres, and it can accommodate more than
40,000 faithful. Built 100 percent with Italian marble, the mosque has
four 107-metre tall minarets, 82 domes of seven different sizes, 96
columns inside and 1,048 outside
The
project was launched in 1998 by Sheikh Zayed, who besides being the
UAE's first president was also ruler of the oil-rich emirate of Abu
Dhabi, one of seven making up the Gulf federation. Sheikh Zayed, who
died in November 2004, is buried in a courtyard adjacent to the mosque.
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