As non-Muslims, there aren’t many opportunities for me to visit a mosque. So when opportunity came up to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi City UAE, without plan we jumped at it.
Background to Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
This mosque was built and is named after the founder and late president of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Unfortunately he died before the mosque was completed in 2007.
The late Sheikh’s vision was to build mosque that brought together the cultural diversity of the Islamic world.,the mosque is a togetherness of inspirations from Mughal, Persian and Moorish mosque architecture.
With some of my pictures, Ipapakita ko sainyo kung gaanu kaganda ang Grand Mosque na to, and kung gaanu ako na mangha sa mga nakita ko sa loob...
Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi
The layout and the floorplan of the mosque ay masasabing, inspired by the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.
Madami ding malalaking chandeliers na makikita sa loob ng mosque.
Guide Visiting Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque located about 15km outside of Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE.
By Car
With a friends who has car, drove to the mosque from Abu Dhabi, roads in UAE are very well signed and mosque is easy to find. However, rules about foreigners driving in the UAE are hazy and change frequently. If you’d like to drive, it’s best to check the legalities of it with your car rental company first.
By Bus
Big Bus hop on/hop off bus tour operates in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and includes a trip to mosque on its itinerary.
Entry fees
There are no fees to enter the mosque.
Visiting times
Mosque open para sa mga visitors from Saturday-Thursday, 9:00 am-10:00 pm. On Fridays, hours are restricted from 4:30 pm-10:00 pm only.
Dress Code
Like many other mosques, temples around the world,dress code applies when visiting mosque. Traditional clothing is available (for free), at the entrance of mosque. It’s a MUST for a women to wear an abaya. Men are best not to wear shorts and singlets but they maybe ask you to wear traditional clothing if you will be dressed inappropriately.
My Experience
My visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was definitely an eye-opener for me. Hindi lang yung ganda ng lugar, or being surrounded by these stunning works of art inside an equally amazing piece of architecture, but yung nakita ko kung gaanu ang pag mamahal na binibigay nila sa lugar na pag sasambhan nila ay tlgang nakaka inspired. I enjoyed the culture, learned something about the religion, and took lot of photos too for remembrance.
Hoping these tips help you to plan your own visit! If you have tips of your own please share them with readers in the comments.