With a mix of ancient and modern design, local and international styles of architecture and a remarkable aesthetic harmony, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has long captured the imagination of many tourists and visitors to the city.
TripAdvisor, the world’s most popular travel website, has recently ranked the Grand Mosque in second-place among the world’s top 25 tourist attractions. Only Peru’s Machu Picchu was considered more noteworthy.
One of the reasons the Grand Mosque is so special is because it is unlike most other tourist attractions, ancient or modern, spiritual or secular. It has no food stalls, no merchandise shops and no element of commercialisation. It has the spirit of a place of worship, the essence of a holy space and a beauty that radiates from every detail of its breathtaking decoration.
Beyond the spiritual experience, the site offers educational tours providing insights on the cultural centrepiece of the UAE and the religion and culture of the region. Little wonder then that it has now been brought to the attention of a wider audience by ranking so highly on TripAdvisor’s league table.