Sheikh Zayed Mosque - the main showcase untold wealth of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

• Sheikh Zayed Mosque - the main showcase untold wealth of the emirate of Abu Dhabi

I am not a fan of modern architecture, but could not afford to refuse to see with their own eyes the luxury that many heard. To this end, I went with a companion in the United Arab Emirates. What we saw when got to the place, amazed us more deeply with the car park. We were faced with a living illustration of the "Tales of 1000 Nights."

The size of a grand miracle building is five football fields and is the sixth largest in the world. Its area is 17 000 square meters. On the construction of the mosque it took about 600 million euros !!! Planning and construction of one of the most grandiose buildings of the United Arab Emirates took more than twenty years.

Construction of a very large-scale, elegant, stately and attractive. Mosque leader, as "most-most" in many ways, she catches the eye and draws attention, can accommodate just over 40 thousand. Faithful.

In order to enter the territory of the mosque, it is necessary to observe some simple rules: no smoking, holding hands and kissing, to go with a meal in the open dress. At the entrance to take off your shoes. A woman does not necessarily have to be in Abaye (black hoodie with a hood), the main thing that the head was covered, hands to hands and feet to stop. If you are dressed inappropriately, the bail can be obtained free of charge abaya. Against the background of the mosque can not even be photographed in beachwear. Along the perimeter of ply police and watch over morality.

to devout Muslims praying in front of the temple need to take a bath

Do not touch the Qur'an and various architectural elements (I have seen the effects of touch - in the walls and doors are holes instead of decorative elements, which were taken as a souvenir some particularly zealous tourists). Entrance and free parking.

"posthumous" the mosque was originally conceived as the most grand initiations beloved ruler of all that exist on Earth. Construction was carried out on an unprecedented scale. The mosque named after Arab Sheikh built the world:.. Marble - from Italy and China, carpets - from Iran, chandeliers - from Germany and Austria, engineers - from the USA, etc. The result of global cooperation has exceeded all expectations - a giant snow-white mosque instantly became a major in the UAE and most luxurious in the Muslim world.

Its walls are encrusted with gold and precious stones. All rooms in the mosque of Sheikh Zayed decorated with many rare and beautiful precious and semi-precious stones, mother of pearl, and the columns, floors and arches are decorated as if for him curled flowering vines.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque belongs to at least two of the world achieve: here are the world's largest carpet (area of ​​5, 6 thousand square meters..) And a chandelier. The diameter of the latter - 10 meters long and weighs about 12 tons. At its manufacturing took over a million colored crystals Swarovski.

Inside the mosque spread out the world's largest carpet weighing 47 tons (35 tons of wool and 12 tons of cotton !!!) and an area of ​​more than five thousand meters. carpet value was more than $ 8 million. It brought from Iran in two planes.

Outside the mosque is framed by 82 domes and minarets 4 107 meters high, lined with pure white marble.

In the dark lighting gives a special splendor of the mosque

.. and even without light - it looks mystical ...

To get to the mosque can be a bus station Al Ghubaiba, not far from the Metro Station in Dubai. From there, shuttle buses to the bus station in Abu Dhabi. Buses run every half hour. Travel time - half an hour. From this station, all buses with a green stripe passing by the mosque, in particular routes 32, 44 and 54. The nearest stop to the mosque - Zayed Mosque.