Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
★ 4.9🇦🇪 Abu DhabiSuggested visit 1-2 hoursBest season November to March, when it is cooler
Religious siteArchitectureCity landmark
A white marble mosque holding forty thousand worshippers, among the largest in the world.
Overview
Completed in 2007 across about 22,000 square metres and able to hold some 40,000 people, the mosque is built entirely of white marble. Its main prayer hall holds the largest hand-knotted carpet in the world, about 5,627 square metres, beneath enormous crystal chandeliers. The colonnades and reflecting pools are at their most striking under evening lighting, making it Abu Dhabi's most famous landmark.
History
Commissioned in 1996 by Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's founding president, it opened in 2007 and houses his tomb.
Highlights
- •The giant hand-knotted carpet
- •The chandeliers and colonnades
- •Evening lighting and reflections
- •The white marble complex in full view
Practical tips
- •Women must wear an abaya and headscarf, lent free on site
- •Closed to visitors during Friday morning prayers
Practical information
- Best time
- November-March
- Tickets
- Free, with online registration required
- Opening hours
- 9:00-22:00 (open Friday afternoons)
- Local food
- Arabic grilled meat, hummus, dates
- Getting around
- About 1.5 hours by car from Dubai; roughly 20 minutes by taxi within Abu Dhabi.
- Visa
- Visa-free for stays up to 30 days with a valid passport.
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