Eid Mubarak to everyone. We feature one of the largest mosques in the Emirates. Driving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is apparently the size of five football fields. It is a silent afternoon and there is just a handful of us at the mosque. And walking around I realize that almost everything here is larger than life and exceptionally beautiful

A marvel in white

I am dazzled by the sheer brilliance as I stop and stare at the largest mosque in Emirates , the Sheikh Zayed Mosque which was built by the first President of the  UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the last decade.

View of the minarets

The mosque which took about ten years to be built has more tall minarets, each one supposedly standing tall at 350 feet .

There are over 80 domes here

As I enter the mosque , I am blinded by the sheer white of the 82 domes .

Blinded by the beauty of the courtyard

The courtyard is one of the most beautiful part of the façade filled with pillars while the marble mosaic with its floral designs are soothing to the eye.

Another view of the beautiful Abu Dhabi

Reflecting the pillars are water bodies and pools around the mosque .

The entrance to the mosque

Only natural materials have been used in the mosque – from marble, crystal ceramics , semi precious stones and even gold.

The marble mosaic at the courtyard

The marble mosaic at the courtyard is believed to be over 180000 sq feet and more than 30 different varieties of marble was brought in from different countries like Italy, India and China among others.

The interiors of the mosque

The prayer room, one of the largest can accommodate almost 7000 devotees, while 40,000 people can enter the mosque at a time.Beautiful pillars grace the prayer room, all 96 of them inlaid with mother of pearl.

One of the largest carpets woven for the mosques

Looking down I see one of the world’s hand knotted carpets . Made in Iran by more than 1200 craftsmen, it is spread over 60570 sq feet of space.

The chandeliers at Abu Dhabi mosque

Looking up I see beautiful chandeliers gracing the room , made in Germany, sparkling with Swarovski crystals.

Beautiful lighting in the mosque

With a diameter of 33 feet , one of the chandeliers at a height of 49 feet is apparently one of the largest chandeliers to be built in a mosque.

More pretty colours in the ceiling

Have you seen a grander mosque than this ?