Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was a dream in the heart of the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan "May God rest his Soul", where he established its general vision, set its foundation stone, and crowned thereby a journey full of fulfilled dreams and great achievements. The Mosque is an expression of a visionary leader who believed that nothing is impossible and conceived that the most gracious achievements start from the heart.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was opened for worship in 2007, after work commenced during the nineties of last century. The Late Sheikh Zayed "May God rest his Soul" set the foundation stone of the Grand Mosque, and was completed under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE President "May God protect him", and his brother His Highness General Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Armed Forces Deputy Commander, and under the supervision of his Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
The Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan "May God rest his Soul" founded this great landmark, featuring four minarets and eighty-two domes, representing different Islamic styles, in support of noble Islamic cultural values, and to express its genuine religious concepts and values. The mosque accommodates more than 40,000 worshippers; 10,000 in the internal areas and 30,000 in the external areas.
There were more than 38 contractors and thousands of workers involved with completing various elements of the structure and decoration. Materials were also sourced from many countries including Greece, Italy, Germany, China, Austria, India and New Zealand to name a few.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is well known for its diverse Islamic architecture and pure white colour. White marble clads the external walls and columns and features relief carving of verses from Holy Quran and Islamic ornamentation.
