Sheikh Zayed is the third largest mosque in the world. The mosque was named after its founder who happened to be the first UAE president. The mosque is built 11m above the sea level and also 9.5m above the level of the street so that it may be conspicuously seen from all dimensions of the city. It was opened to both the public and prayers on 20th of December the year 2007.
The mosque covers an area approximately 22,421m2; the amount of steel that was used to build it is 33,000 tons and 250,000 m3 of concrete. There are a total of 82 domes in number. Total worshipers of 41,000 can be comfortably accommodated inside the mosque with 7,126 worshipers in the main hall of prayer. Its main dome stands the largest in the world; it is 85m in height and 32.8m in diameter. The entire courtyard of the mosque is covered using mosaic. This yard is considered to be one of the largest spaces in the mosques around the world (Dempsey, 56).
The mosque is finished through an Italian and Greek white marble. The sculpture is considered to be among some of the purest marbles in the world. It has some impressive feature that is the large carpet of 5625m2 in the area in the first hall of prayer. The carpet is viewed as the most significant under the sun; it is estimated to be $30 million (The Report, 85)
The Sheikh Zayed mosque is free for prayers throughout the day. It also gives room to the non-Muslim visitors who are allowed to pay the visit daily from 9 AM to 10 Am with Friday morning as an exception.
Reference
The Report: Abu Dhabi 2009. Oxford Business Group, 2009. Print.
Dempsey, Michael C. Castles in the Sand: A City Planner in Abu Dhabi. , 2014. Print.
