Instead, Abu Dhabi has taken initiatives that emphasize heritage and culture, as well as family-friendly offerings such as theme parks. Occupying a site the size of four football fields, it can accommodate up to 40, worshippers and hosts millions of visitors every year. Despite the footfall, a sense of serenity always obtains β a mood accentuated by the lilting call to prayer that reverberates through the air five times a day. A team of artisans, architects and engineers from across the globe worked on the monument for 11 years, producing a monument that fuses Mughal, Ottoman and Persian architectural influences.
Gold-leaf spires, gilded chandeliers and columns inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones like amethyst lend a sense of opulence. Visitors can explore the premises solo or with a guide. We recommend arriving late in the afternoon, when you can linger long enough to see the four minarets and 82 domes β all clad in gleaming white marble β bathed in the blue-tinted late-afternoon light. Detour: Directly opposite the mosque, Wahat Al Karama Oasis of Dignity is another architectural feat whose award-winning centerpiece, The Memorial, features 31 aluminum-clad panels that lean against each other to symbolize unity.
This interfaith complex features three houses of worship representing the shared values of the three Abrahamic religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism β a celebration of the spirit of tolerance that governs everyday life in the Emirates. A meeting in between Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb inspired the project, which features the first synagogue built in the Middle East outside of Israel in nearly years. Each of the three cubic sanctuaries is equal in scale, respecting the equality of the faiths they represent.
Subtle architectural details β an abstracted crucifix in the church, a suspended bronze veil in the synagogue, panels of latticework in the mosque β salute the spiritual practices and traditions of the three faiths.
Visitors are welcome to participate in prayer at any of the sanctuaries, while a guided tour provides a broad overview of all three religions. Planning tip: Booking a free ticket online is required, as is dressing modestly.
