SPECIAL / January
• Anyone who has been inside
the Sheikh Zayed Mosque
will surely declare it a must-
see! With the lavish marble
underfoot cooling visitors in
the sweltering heat and the
abundance of gold dazzling their
eyes, it resembles a wondrous
palace from a Middle Eastern
tale. Women must cover their
heads, shoulders, arms, and legs
before entering the mosque;
men must also dress modestly
so as to not offend the faithful
who come here to pray.
• As you enter the mosque’s
main prayer hall, your feet sink
into the world’s largest carpet
(5700 square metres), made by
1200 weavers from Iran. And
as you look upward, you’ll see
one of seven huge, gold-plated
chandeliers made of Murano
glass and decorated with
Swarovksi crystals – the heaviest
of these weighs 12 tonnes.
Sheikh Zayed (1918–2004),
the patron of the mosque, did
not live to see the completed
structure. However, his body
now lies in the mosque’s
courtyard and is protected and
guided by continuous readings of
verses from the Quran.
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/ airBaltic.com