The Architectural Splendor of the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

“Nobody walks in Abu Dhabi. It’s the desert,” the hotel clerk warned when I asked whether two sightseeing spots that looked deceptively close on my map could be reached on foot. “People either take buses or taxis,” he added. So, abandoning any hope of wandering, I boarded the hotel shuttle bound for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.  

From the parking lot, the mosque appeared tantalizingly close, its white silhouette gleaming in the sun.

The entrance lay within a luminous Faberge-egg-shaped structure known as the Dome of Peace.

From there, visitors follow a carefully designed underground passageway that unexpectedly opens into a full-fledged shopping arcade. 

Perfumes, honey, chocolate, traditional garments and a cluster of restaurants, including fast-food counters and cafes where a robot might serve you drinks, greet you. Perhaps this is because food and drinks are not permitted inside the mosque, or perhaps it is simply a modern interpretation of the traditional Arabian souk, or market, fittingly named Souk Al Jami. Water fountains await inside for those who need them. Either way, it forms a contemporary and surprising prelude to the spiritual grandeur ahead.

My first real view of the mosque was blurry. As I stepped outside and lifted my camera, the desert heat staged its ambush. My lens, fresh from the air conditioning, fogged instantly. For 10 stubborn minutes, all I could capture were soft, dreamlike shapes. The exterior shots would have to wait.

The heat shimmered across the marble courtyard, turning the mosque’s reflection into a mirage, an ethereal sight that felt almost otherworldly. That moment brought back a memory of another architectural wonder, the Taj Mahal. The comparison is not as far-fetched as it seems.

Both monuments share Mughal, Ottoman, and Fatimid influences. The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, completed in the 17th century, is celebrated for its symmetry, intricate inlays and divine proportions, an enduring testament to Mughal craftsmanship. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, completed in the 21st century, blends classical Islamic forms with contemporary sensibilities. Its architect, Syrian designer Yussef Abdelki, drew inspiration from architectural traditions of the past, from Mughal to Ottoman to Fatimid.

Located at the entrance to the city on Abu Dhabi Island, the Grand Mosque, with its pristine white walls, domes and minarets, is impossible to miss. Both monuments are mausoleums. The Taj Mahal houses the tombs of Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal, with a mosque standing separately on the grounds, while the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is both a place of worship and the final resting place of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding president. 

The Taj Mahal’s facades are adorned with floral inlays of semiprecious stones and calligraphy by 17th century master Amanat Khan Shirazi. Its construction, spanning 1631 to 1648, represents the height of Mughal architecture. Similarly, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque features more than 1,000 columns clad in white marble and inlaid with lapis lazuli, red agate and mother-of-pearl, an exquisite continuation of the Italian pietra dura tradition. Construction began in 1996, and the mosque opened to the public in 2007.

Natural materials — marble, gold, semiprecious stones, crystals and ceramics — were chosen for their beauty and longevity. Artisans and materials came from across the world: Syria, India, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, China, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Macedonia and the UAE.

 The intricate flower mosaics decorating the courtyard were designed by British artist and illustrator Kevin Dean, who selected flowers common to Middle Eastern gardens: lilies, roses, tulips and irises. Colored marble forms exuberant floral patterns that curl and twist gracefully from the edges toward the center, while thousands of small pieces of white marble adorn the rest of the courtyard. The courtyard, with its floral design, measures 180,000 square feet and is considered the largest marble mosaic in the world. 

The exterior and interior are adorned with white marble, giving the mosque a serene and majestic appearance.

In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs.

Inside, the mosque’s serene majesty continues: Ninety-six marble-clad columns inlaid with mother-of-pearl support the main prayer hall.

Seven monumental chandeliers crafted by Faustig of Munich incorporate millions of Swarovski crystals. The largest — one of the biggest chandeliers in any mosque — measures 33 feet in diameter and 49 feet in height.

 Pools along the arcades reflect the columns, which become illuminated at night, casting the monument in a soft, celestial glow, as the lighting system was designed to mirror the phases of the moon.

I didn’t see much of Abu Dhabi, but the Grand Mosque — the crowning pearl of that desert city — stayed with me.

White domes rise from the desert like delicate pearls, a quiet echo of the waters that once shaped the city’s fortunes.

I stood there longer than I meant to, caught between the brilliance of the marble and the hush of the courtyard.

 Even now, I’m not sure what moves me more — the superb craftsmanship, the scale or the way the whole structure seemed to breathe with the shifting sky.

All I know is that Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque lingers on, like a vision I will carry with me long after the heat haze fades.