2019 - FIP Abu Dhabi: Day 3 - Fri 20 Sep: Abu Dhabi

30.5-38.5 degC Hazy to start with to very sunny; not quite as warm as yesterday!

After breakfasting with Sylvain, we all met up in Jane's room and had a conference on what we should do today. The lady at the front desk told us that if the only tourist attraction we saw whilst in Abu Dhabi wa the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, then that was probably the best attraction. So, we set off just after 11am and arrived about 11:20am. What the lady didn't tell us though is that Fridays here in UAE are like Sundays for us back home, meaning that not much is open, and those that do open, only open after lunch; in the case of the Grand Mosque 2:30pm. So, we decided to have a wander around the outside to kill some time. That took all of half an hour, we we decided to have a wander through the mall-type structure underground at the Mosque complex. That took another 10 minutes. We found a place to sit and wait until the worms started biting then had some lunch from the kebab shop. One thing I have noticed is that things are quite expensive, especially in the tourist hot spots - hotels and attractions. And, every time you ventured down the hall to where the underground entrance to the Mosque is, you were quickly told in no uncertain terms by Security, that the Mosque was closed and only opened at 2:30pm and were to move away. This was despite having huge glass doors that were shut tight.

Anyway, we were eventually allowed to enter and although entry was free, you had to answer a few questions on a tablet which then printed your ticket. This had to be scanned by Security before you could enter. Before you got to the place to answer the questions your dress standards were assessed for suitability. If you didn't meet the standards, see picture, you were ushered off to the side to be kitted out. Fortunately, I had researched the standards and had brought along a Pashmina and Jane had a small head scarf, both of which did the trick.

We hadn't realised just how warm it was having been underground for so long. So, when we exited the tunnel, the bright light and heat hit us like we had walked into a brick wall. Add to that the stark whiteness of the Mosque and it all made for some very sore eyes. Our walk around the Mosque took about an hour, and as we were leaving we all commented that this was one time when we would have liked to have a guided tour as there were no explanations anywhere.

Apologies for plethora of photos, but I think you will agree, it is quite spectacular, although some of my photos don't quite do it enough justice. Oh, and my selfie stick waited until today to go on the blink; might have to invest in a bluetooth one.

From Wikipedia:

he Grand Mosque was constructed between 1996 and 2007. The building complex measures approximately 290 by 420 m, covering an area of more than 12 hectares (30 acres), excluding exterior landscaping and vehicle parking. The main axis of the building is rotated about 11° south of true west, aligning it in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The project was launched by the late president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted to establish a structure that would unite the cultural diversity of the Islamic world with the historical and modern values of architecture and art.

The design of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque has been inspired by Persian, Mughal, and the Alexandrian Mosque of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque in Egypt, also the Indo-Islamic mosque architecture, particularly the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan being direct influences. The dome layout and floorplan of the mosque was inspired by the Badshahi Mosque. Its archways are quintessentially Moorish, and its minarets classically Arab.

The mosque is large enough to accommodate over 40,000 worshippers, while the main prayer hall can hold over 7,000. There are two smaller prayer halls, with a capacity of 1,500 each, one of which is the women's prayer hall.

There are four minarets on the four corners of the courtyard which rise about 107 m in height. The courtyard, with its floral design, measures about 17,000 m² and is considered to be the largest example of marble mosaic in the world.

he Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has many special and unique elements: The carpet in the main prayer hall is considered to be the world's largest carpet made by Iran's Carpet Company and designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi. This carpet measures 5,627 m², and was made by around 1,200-1,300 carpet knotters. The weight of this carpet is 35 ton and is predominantly made from wool (originating from New Zealand and Iran). There are 2,268,000,000 knots within the carpet and it took approximately two years to complete.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has seven imported chandeliers from the company Faustig in Munich, Germany that incorporate millions of Swarovski crystals. The largest chandelier is the second largest known chandelier inside a mosque, the third largest in the world, and has a 10 m diameter and a 15 m height.

The 96 columns in the main prayer hall are clad with marble and inlaid with mother of pearl, one of the few places where one can see this craftsmanship.

In 2013, US-based singer Rihanna received negative criticism for taking photographs, with the Mosque in the background, during a private visit. During the incident she was reported to have posed in a manner deemed offensive and provocative. Staff asked her to leave following the incident.

More recently, Selena Gomez was criticised by Instagram users for posing for pictures at the mosque with her ankle shown.