🕌 Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

About This Sacred Site

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is one of the world's largest mosques and a masterpiece of modern Islamic architecture. Completed in 2007, it can accommodate over 40,000 worshippers and features 82 white marble domes, over 1,000 columns, and gold-plated Swarovski chandeliers. The mosque houses the world's largest hand-knotted carpet and one of the world's largest chandeliers. Named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, it is designed to welcome visitors of all backgrounds.

Spiritual Significance

Completed in 2007, the mosque can accommodate over 40,000 worshippers, making it one of the largest Islamic houses of worship globally, which facilitates large congregational prayers during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Its 82 domes and more than 1,000 columns symbolize the unity and diversity of the Islamic world, incorporating architectural motifs from the Mughal, Ottoman, and Fatimid eras. The mosque houses the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet, measuring 5,627 square meters, crafted by around 1,200 artisans, enhancing the sacred ambiance for the five daily prayers prescribed in the Quran (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:6). Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a major pilgrimage site during Ramadan, where taraweeh prayers are conducted with recitations from the Tajweed tradition. The mosque’s design includes inscriptions of verses from the Quran in Kufic and Thuluth scripts, emphasizing the theological centrality of divine revelation. It also serves as a center for Islamic education and interfaith dialogue, reflecting the spiritual vision of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whose mausoleum is located nearby.

Key Facts

• •Can accommodate over 40,000 worshippers
• •Features 82 domes and over 1,000 columns
• •Houses the world's largest hand-knotted carpet at 5,627 sq meters
• •Completed in 2007 at a cost of approximately $545 million
• •Open to visitors of all faiths and backgrounds

Location

Coordinates: 24.4128, 54.4750