The building of this mosque was started by the late president of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was buried in the courtyard of the mosque after his death in 2004. It took more than a 1,000 carpet knotters to weave this wool carpet, that took almost two years to complete. It was also amusing to find out that the mosque holds a Guinness World Record for the largest hand-woven carpet. The mosque is large enough to accommodate around 40,100 worshippers and also has a courtyard with one of the largest marble mosaic artworks in the world. I was curious to see so many floral patterns around the mosque, so our guide explained that it's the representation of a traditional Islamic garden.
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Even as an atheist, I felt a strong spiritual connection and really peaceful as I walked around this stunning structure. The reflective pools along the arcades - perfectly designed to capture the light - act as water mirrors and make the place look breathtaking. Sunset is absolutely the best time to visit the mosque – the place glows as the sun sets and it looks surreal.
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Out of the seven chandeliers in the mosque that were all imported from Germany, the largest one is the third largest chandelier in the world and shines like a thousand suns studded with Swarovski crystals. The mosque – that took 13 years to be completed - features 1,096 amethyst-and-jasper-embedded columns, 82 white marble domes and opulent gold-plated Swarovski chandeliers.
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#PHEW LOBSTER FREE#
We were given a comfortable abaya in the dressing room free of cost, so it wasn't a big hassle. Modest clothing is necessary while entering the mosque and if you're a female, your head needs to be covered. One of the largest mosques in the world and the largest in the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has a welcoming open-door policy that encourages visitors from around the world of all religions and backgrounds, from worshippers to cultural explorers. The museum stays open from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm everyday, barring Mondays. The general admission ticket fee for adults is AED 63 and children below 18 get a free entry. Make sure you keep a good couple of hours in hand before visiting the Louvre so that you have enough time to read up about the pieces and understand the history behind them. It hung next to another exquisite work of art 'The Bohemian' by Édouard Manet. However, the painting that made me stop in my tracks and stare at it for several minutes was an original Vincent van Gogh called 'Caravans, Gypsy Camp near Arles' made in France in 1888. Other artefacts that caught my eyes were a sphinx made of limestone from 500-600 BCE Greek civilisation, a painting by Johannes Vermeer called 'The Astronomer' made during 1668 Netherland, French painter Frédéric Bazille's 1864 painting 'The Pink Dress' and a Persian carpet called 'Polonaise carpet' from the 1600s Iran made of silk, cotton, gold and silver threads.
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As a lover of all things Egyptian, I was mesmerised looking at the 13th century pharaoh seated on a throne inscribed with his name, wearing a royal headdress with a cobra (which is now broken). Right at the beginning, it was the pharaoh of Ramesses II that caught my attention. Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Arab world’s first universal museum, was designed by the famous Pritzker-prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel and encompasses 9,200 square metres of galleries. It is an art lovers paradise with artwork from around the world displayed here, of historical, cultural and sociological significance, from ancient times to the contemporary era. In 2007, an agreement was signed between the UAE and France that allows the museum to use Louvre's name until 2037. Situated at the Saadiyat Cultural District on Saadiyat Island, Louvre Abu Dhabi is a breathtaking display of artistic achievement and architectural excellence.