The mosque was stunning at every angle. There are inlaid precious stones on the columns, gold on top of the spires, and the whitest marble on the floors.
On mosque grounds, men and women must be fully clothed from head to toe, and women must cover their heads. As prepared tourists, we brought the scarves we had in Europe. Those less prepared were given abaya and hijabs to properly cover.
Our wonderful tour guide, whose English name is Issac, guided us through the mosque and educated us in Islamic architecture, culture, and religion.
This masterpiece was just completed in 2005. It is the largest mosque in the UAE and one of the tenth largest in the world. It also holds both the largest carpet and the largest chandelier of its kind in the world. 41,000 people can worship there at one time.
After our tour, the rest of the day was very relaxing: poolside reading, Lebanese food for lunch, the beach, and Mexican for dinner and drinks. No doubt we will sleep well tonight!
That picture of the Grand Mosque is just stunning.
ReplyDeleteBloom Gardens Abu Dhabi