07/04/2015
Fast and impressive facts about the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque…
- accommodates over 40,000 worshipers;
- features 82 white marble domes of Moroccan design;
- has more than 1,000 columns in the outer areas, with inlaid marble panels and decorated in a floral design with semi-precious stones, and 96 columns in the main prayer hall, each inlaid with mother of pearl;
- displays the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet, designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi and hand crafted by 1,300 artisans;
- showcases the word’s largest chandelier, made in Germany with thousands of Swarovski crystals from Austria and glasswork from Italy;
- includes materials such as marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics in its design and construction;
- uses a very special lighting system in evening hours that follows the phases of the moon – they gradually become lighter as the moon becomes full;
- is the final resting place of the late visionary president of the UAE,
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was buried in the courtyard of the Mosque.