The United Arab Emirates is no stranger to excess, with the world’s tallest building and a hotel that uses 24 carat gold as wallpaper. Glittering Dubai, the City of Superlatives, is in the spotlight more than Abu Dhabi, but anyone going to the UAE should make a point to spend at least one day in the country’s capital.
The 2019 Experts’ Choice winner for top attraction in Abu Dhabi is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center 92, which Frommer’s describes as having “enough marble, gold, and silver to make the Taj Mahal jealous.”
The massive building’s 82 domes, 1,096 pillars, and the largest floor mosaic in the world give Abu Dhabi bragging rights. What Travel + Leisure calls one of the country’s “most impressive and striking structures“ is certainly worth the one-and-a-half hour travel time from Dubai.
The mosque, which can hold 41,000 worshippers, offers free admission and free daily tours in a variety of languages. If you have small children, we recommend picking up free audio guides and seeing the building at your own pace. The group cultural tours are interesting but last more than an hour and are regimented.
Visiting hours are 9 am to 10 pm but Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is an active place of worship so it’s important to note that the mosque is closed to visitors on Fridays, the Muslim holy day, until 4:30 pm. We recommend going at dusk to see the marble both reflecting the sun and illuminated at night. Taxis are readily available throughout the city and at the mosque, there’s clear signage in English, and staff is available to answer questions. The mosque receives 5.7 million people a year: 1.4 million worshippers and 3.4 million visitors so they understand visitors’ requirements.
There’s a separate entrance for women where attendants lend, again at no charge, loose hooded robes that fit easily over clothes. It is acceptable to wear usual Western warm-weather clothing in most circumstances in the UAE, but when entering a mosque both men and women must cover their extremities, women must cover their heads, and all must remove their shoes.
Since only 12 percent of the UAE’s 9.5 million residents are Emiratis and people from 200 countries call the UAE home, the country is open to other cultures and welcomes explaining theirs.
We think that this remarkable building should take its place among the world’s most notable houses of worship; worth a special trip to experience the awe-inspiring edifices man has created in tribute to God.
