miss b's quote

'I haven't been everywhere yet but it's on my list' Susan Sontag

Thursday 6 November 2014

miss b loves....the Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi



I'm back from my travels! So many photos..... Let's start with the highlight of this trip .....Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which has been on our must-visit list for so long...... 


So perfect against the cloudless blue sky!

Words and photos just cannot really convey the true beauty of this architectural work of art but I'll try ..... There was one word we couldn't stop repeating though......Wow!



We were immediately awestruck by the sheer size and spectacle of this stunning pure white marble covered mosque, one of the largest in the world with a capacity for 40,000 worshippers. 

There are so many unique and special elements ....The vast courtyard above with its floral design is considered to be the largest example of marble mosaic in the world....

An amazing 82 domes and over 1000 columns ....



The marble clad columns are inlaid with mother of pearl and semi-precious stones including amethyst, red agate and lapiz lazuli .....



 Inside the mosque there's a true sense of calm. One of the world's largest chandeliers hangs in the main prayer hall....10 metres in diameter and 15 metres high, gilded with 24 carat gold and adorned with millions of Swarovski crystals ........




The hand-knotted Iranian carpet is the largest in the world ...and it took 1200 artisans two years to make ...... beautiful and so soft and luxurious to walk on ....no shoes inside the mosque. 


The 96 columns in the main prayer hall are inlaid with mother of pearl ....exquisite!


There are seven imported chandeliers from the company Faustig in Munich, Germany but this blue vestibule chandelier really caught my eye.... definitely my favourite!






Built by the Italian company, Impregilo, materials for the mosque and artisans came from many different countries. Walls, windows and floors are all exquisitely decorated and the craftsmanship is so impressive.  



Visitors are asked to dress modestly but abayas for women and thawbs......for men can be borrowed free of charge. 


Stunning, reflective mirror pools surround the mosque and seem to enhance the beauty of the columns ..... 





Of course there were many visitors but we were still able to find and enjoy quiet, tranquil areas.



The mosque, built between 1996 and 2007, was the vision of Sheikh Zayed, the late President of the United Arab Emirates. The first ceremony at the mosque was actually his funeral and he is buried in the grounds.

So many photo opportunities .....





Time for a stroll around the manicured gardens ......



...before returning my abaya.....


........and as we turned to leave, there was one final... WOW!





41 comments:

  1. What a lovely place, miss b. That first chandelier with crystals is so beautiful. I love the pink flowers in the gardens. Such a vibrant color. This is a grand place, for sure. Thanks for letting me see a glimpse of it. I hope you had a nice time on your vacation.

    love,
    ~Sheri

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  2. Absolutely incredible!!! It is amazing what can people create with their bare hands... Just stunning. I'd probably cry if I were there. Thank you for the photos - they took my breath away. x

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  3. Welcome back sweet lady! Thank you for sharing your experience visiting the Grand Mosque. As amazing as it looks in these photos I can only imagine it's only more magnificent in person. Wow indeed...

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  4. could that sky not be more beautiful? your photos are amazing!

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  5. c'est super beau! et dire que j'ai failli la visiter cette mosquée c'est une longue histoire, mais disons que j'ai refusé et je regrette un peu!



    www.letiziabarcelona.com

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    1. J'espère que tu auras l'occasion de la visiter à l'avenir.

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  6. Wow, indeed. The chandelier is amazing in the prayer hall--I am such a fan of intricate chandeliers. Thanks for always showing us such captivating images. It looks as though you had some great travels. :) xx/Madison
    http://fashiontalesblog.com

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  7. Oh yes it truly is a wow! Looks amazing xx

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  8. These are truly GORGEOUS photos of an ancient culture's fabulous architectural beauty. So crisp and white, embedded with sparkles! YES! And thank you so much for coming to visit with me! Anita

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  9. I know aren't things like this incredible. And it is amazing that something like this could be built in a time when there was no technology! K-razy!

    Allie of ALLIE NYC
    allienyc.com

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  10. Wow, everything in this Mosque is grand and the best of everything. Your photos are amazing.

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  11. Miss, welcome back! Hope you had an amazing time during your holidays! Im totally in awe looking at your photos, Grand Mosque is so IMPRESSIVE, makes me feel very little, I can only imagine see it in person. The columns and the chandeliers are a masterpiece as the whole architecture. Just WOW! Happy Friday, many kisses! xo

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  12. Welcome back! These photos are "WOW" and I am sure they even can't represent the beauty of this place! What an exciting trip, I bet you had a great time! The mosque from the photos looks absolutely stunning outside as well as inside! This sure is a must-see place! And there are palms everywhere!!! My favourite photo is the one with the red flowers! Can't wait to see more!

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  13. it looks so beautiful and pristine!

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  14. Wow there is so much character to these pictures, what an amazing looking location, I have never been anywhere like that.

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  15. Hi Miss B, what a spectacular place and yes I was saying WOW too.
    All the stunning details used to make this is amazing. It does look incredible against that gorgeous blue sky. You captured wonderful photos.
    Thank you for sharing.
    Hugs and Blessings

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  16. Bienvenue à nouveau!
    Cette mosquée est incroyablement belle ! Le tapis, les mosaïques...c'est un boulot impressionnante ! J'imagine la paix qu'on doit sentir quand on visite un endroit pareil ! Tu as la chance, tes voyages sont fascinants !
    Je te souhaite un très bon weekend !

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  17. A GRAND mosque indeed!! I love the colors and the light fixtures are incredible. When you are there .. you must feel something? .. just takes your breath away. Thanks for sharing!

    ..also thanks for stopping by today:) Hopefully I'll be back to regular blogging soon. The construction has thrown me for a loop and if you follow my instagram you will see the progress.. slow and steady with a light at the end of the tunnel!

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  18. I'm so glad you're back - and thank you for taking the time to catch up with my latest blog posts! :) Oh wow, it looks as though you've had an utterly incredible time, this post has been a dream to read and look through the photos. I have travelled extensively within Europe, however beyond that there is a lot of 'undiscovered territory', so this has been quite literally awe-inspiring! Have a lovely weekend!

    http://aglassofice.blogspot.co.uk

    x

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  19. Your photos look stunning....such a beautiful place:) Enjoy your weekend!
    ~Anne

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  20. Beyond gorgeous post,dear MissB.!
    Oh,my....
    Such a really big dream to being there,WOW!
    Adore all details and the architecture is stunning:)
    You are a very lucky girl,you had an unforgettable time there!

    Thankyou so much for share it here,
    What a delight!:)))
    Greetings,hugs,
    V.

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  21. Can't believe that this wonderful mosque is really reality at the pictures you share here are looking like a true dream! I can imagine it was so stunning and impressing there and thank you for sharing the pictures. Looking forward to the other pictures of your travels :) Happy weekend!
    Lovely greetings from Germany/Bavaria, Rena

    www.dressedwithsoul.com

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  22. WOW! Even your photos convey such stunning beauty, so i cannot imagine what it must have been like to actually be there in person. It's so imposing to look at, but to learn the history behind it as well makes it all the more inspiring: 1200 artisans took two years to make a carpet, you wouldn't want to walk on it, would you? Thanks for sharing, i need to find someone to go with me one day. Well welcome back to sunny England!

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  23. This is one of the most beautiful mosques I have ever seen! I would visit it if I ever find myself in AD.

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  24. This work of art never ceases to amaze me every time I visit.

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  25. Everything looks stunning! I would love to travel there!

    I hope you had a great weekend!

    Jessica @ Sunny Days and Starry Nights

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  26. This building is so beautiful, absolutely breathtaking. I would love to see what it looks like in real life. x E

    Elizabeth Victoria Clark

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  27. miss b, that mosque is absolutely breathtaking! The outside and inside! Gosh the decor! So intricate and beautiful. I love the lighting too! Spectacular.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  28. That place looks absolutely amazing! Your photos are great!
    Love your blog, hope to see you soon on my blog
    www.beneaththecoat.com or Bloglovin or Facebook :)
    Kisses from Zurich,
    K

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  29. Amazing photos my dear!!
    Mygenerouslife.blogspot.com

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  30. Ahhh...brought back memories of the trip early this year. It was indeed stunning. One of my friends also went there early this year and even joined a photography contest. I'm back to Dubai end of the month. Hopefully, there are some new things I can feature. Glad you finally made it to the mosque :)

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    1. There's always something new in Dubai! We discovered quite a few new places when we returned from Abu Dhabi. I'm sure I'll be mentioning them in a post at some point! I'm looking forwarding to reading about your trip.

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  31. Thanks a lot for your lovely words, happy rest of the week! xx Rena

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  32. It's like something out of a dream x

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  33. OMG those columns! Wow this looks like something out of a movie and doesn't seem real. I can't believe you went there and took these photos. Wow.

    Allie of ALLIE NYC
    allienyc.com

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  34. Hello Miss B! Thank you so much for coming by earlier! And yes, these beautiful places have such a rich past and a future of admiration. LOVELY PHOTOS! I was so blessed today to witness one of my high school students who rushed in before class started to ask if she could go do her afternoon prayers. She pulled out her little prayer mat and her head dress and it was so lovely to know that our school has a place to honor our students of faith. It was awesome.

    Have a lovely evening! Anita

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  35. It is gorgeous!!! I love the architecture!!!

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  36. Thank you everyone for taking the time to comment. The Grand Mosque is such an impressive building. It was a pleasure to write about it!

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  37. Wow. Something to behold. How wonderful to get to see this. I cannot believe the beautiful floral mosaic and also love the columns with flowers and the chandeliers. Gorgeous! Great photography too Miss b! xx

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  38. How nice aren´t these photos! You always make me want to travel far away...Caroline

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Thank you for taking the time to write a comment on my blog. I really do appreciate it. miss b

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