Mention the United Arab Emirates and everyone immediately thinks of Dubai. Yet its more conservative, albeit less flashy neighbor, Abu Dhabi is a modern, cosmopolitan city worth a more extensive visit than a day trip from Dubai. Following three days of a conference and work meetings in Dubai, I met my husband and son for a week of travel in the UAE. We’d have time to explore Dubai at the conclusion of the trip but were excited to drive 90 minutes south to spend a few days in Abu Dhabi and then on to the Empty Quarter near the Saudi border.
Abu Dhabi city is the capital of UAE as well as the main city in one of the UAE’s seven emirates, also named Abu Dhabi. Think New York, New York! Located on a island in the Perisan Gulf, it is connected to the mainland by several bridges. It’s skyline is graced with beautifully architected buildings intersprersed with construction cranes – this city of 1.5 million inhabitants continues to grow!
Abu Dhabi’s ‘must see’ cultural landmark is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, both a tribute to Islam and the final resting place of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nayhan, the founding father of the UAE, credited with uniting the emirates and guiding the country to modernization. Completed in 2007, this enormous mosque with its 82 domes took two decades to design and build.
To reach the mosque’s visitors’ entrance, we parked in the underground garage of a large shopping center, then trekked across the mall past a mix of Western stores like Forever 21 and American Eagle and Arabic stores like Fashion World Abaya and Al Aseel Arabian Dress. Eventually we entered a long marble corridor, scanned our tickets, donned headscarves and long sleeves and took an escalator to the courtyard of the mosque. Our first look inside the complex was breathtaking – multiple domes and minurets appeared above a columned courtyard with keyhole arches alongside a turquoise reflecting pool.
The architecture of the mosque is deserving of the superlative GRAND. From the marbled domes, to the mosaiced courtyards, to its sheer size and scale, to the attention to detail that provides beautiful, thoughtful views from any angle, this mosque is a cultural masterpiece for Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
Not surprising for the monied UAE, Sheikh Zayad Mosque was among the biggest and grandest in the world when it opened in 2007. With space for over 40,000 worshippers, it also had the largest prayer rug, biggest chandelier, most reflecting pools. Other mosques have since claimed these titles, but as we walked through the courtyard with its thousands of open gold gilded colonnades, we were awestruck by the sheer beauty of our surroundings; maybe no longer one of the biggest but certainly one of the most aesthetic.
In mosques, the prayer rooms for men are large and lavish; women’s are always smaller and often less ornate. This held true for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque but although indeed smaller, the women’s prayer rooms were more beautiful, simple and conducive to contemplation. Tiled floor to ceiling in white, a mosaic of mother of pearl flowering vines covers the walls and circles the keyhole arches. The large latticed doors let in natural light to brighten the room and a crystal chandelier hanging near the entrance complements the natural light. As if walking in nature when entering the room, my pulse slowed, my breathing deepened and my thoughts focused. Despite the 100 plus degree heat outside, the space was calm and cool and radiated an aura of peacefulness.
The chandeliers in the prayer rooms are exquisite. Built with millions of Swarovski crystals, these brightly colored, sparkling art forms lighten and enhance the beauty of these wide open spaces.
Although surrounded by cool marble and multiple reflection pools, we were still overheating in the high temperatures. We completed our tour of the mosque and headied to our hotel for lunch and a swim.
Later that evening, we drove to the city’s cultural area on Saadiyat Island to the Louve Abu Dhabi, not to visit the exhibits inside the museum but to kayak around it. Designed in partnership with France, the Louve Abu Dhabi is actually a ‘museum city in the sea’. Fifty five individual buildings with 23 galleries make up this museum surrounded by water and we would spend two hours kayaking around the complex and back, watching the sunset over downtown Abu Dhabi. Initially unsure of where to meet our outfitter, we wandered about until we spotted the semicircle of kayaks readied for us.
It was a perfect evening to be on the water – warm with a gentle breeze. After a brief orientation from our outfitter, we boarded our kayaks and began paddling out of the basin adjacent to the main building. The Louve Abu Dhabi is architecturally stunning, often called one of the modern wonders of the world. Although a separate museum from its namesake in Paris, the $1.3 billion deal signed between France and the UAE allows the museum to use the Louve name, borrow artwork and rely on management assistance over the next 30 years.
We approached the museum’s distinctive latticed dome; the way the dome is constructed makes it appear to float unanchored above the courtyard below. Sunlight penetrating the lattice creates the impression of starlight; paddling beneath the overhang of the dome, we were bathed in speckles of light.
We paddled alongside the vacant piers of a marina on the far side of the museum. The sea was a bit choppier here but still easy to handle the kayaks. We floated quietly, taking in the sunset. The sky was tinged in shades of orange, yellow and red, creating a brilliant backdrop for the Abu Dhabi skyline. What a serence ending to our day in Abu Dhabi.
We took our time paddling back, arriving at the take out just before nightfall. The museum was lit as the sky darkened, with the dome now illuminated from the inside out and soft lighting bathing the murals on the outer walls, reflecting on the still sea. Families sat atop the museum seawall enjoying the cool evening and soft light. We savored the comfortable temperatures and twilight ambience satisfied with the unique way we’d expeienced Abu Dhabi’s iconic Louve!
Our hotel, the Bab AlQasr, was not only Arabic in architecture, ambience and hospitality but conveniently located near Qasr Al Watan, UAE’s ceremonial presidential palace, a landmark we planned on visiting. From the floor to ceiling windows in our room, we had a fantastic view of several new curved glass highrises as well as the opulent Emirates Palace Hotel with its ornamental fountains and landscaping.
We opted to visit the Palace Hotel once our bellman explained that it was built by the Abu Dhabi government at the exorbitant cost of $3 billion to accommodate dignitaries and heads of state hosted at Qasr Al Watan. Operated by Mandarin Oriental, it is the most prestigious and luxurious accommodation in the city. The boulevard and entranceway to the property are so elaborate that despite being across the street, we had to drive to the hotel entrance and valet park.
We were allowed to walk through the public areas of the hotel including the lobby, restaurant, shops and art exhibits. Everything exuded luxury – lots of marble, patterned silk carpets, crystal chandeliers, gold filigreed mirrors, richly upholstered furniture tucked into quiet alcoves. The gardens and grounds were beautifully landscaped, and the olympic swimming pool was shaded with trees and fragrant with flowers.
Conveniently located near the hotel, was Qasr Al Watan, our preplanned destination. Called the Palace of the Nation, this ceremonial palace was built to host events for dignitaries and other leaders as well as to serve as a cultural museum for the country. Construction began in 2010 and when finished seven years later, over one million square meters of intricate stonework had been laid in the complex. We drove past a guardhouse to the visitors center, paid our admission and were bussed ten minutes to the actual entrance of the palace. Standing in the tiled courtyard, looking at the magnificant domed building, we were once again awestruck by the scale and beauty of yet another palatial building.
We were equally impressed when we entered the Great Hall with its intricate 125 ft wide central dome, ornamental arches and intricate mosaics. Renting audio headsets, we took a self guided tour and learned that the colors and patterns in the palace were symbolic – blue for the gulf waters, white for purity and yellow for the desert sand while the geometric patterns and shapes used represented the long heritage of Arabian craftsmanship. Other zones of the palace included a multilevel library with floor to ceiling books, the presidential banquet room, a display of presidential gifts received from various heads of state, and exhibits sharing musical and religious artifacts.
In a gallery off the Great Hall, we came upon a large golden sculpture, hollow and shaped like a football. A long line of people waited patiently in line to enter the structure to get their photo taken . Called the ‘Power of Words, this piece was an attempt by the Emirati artist, Mattar bin Lahej, to transform quotes from Sheikh Zayed, UAE’s founder, into a tangible form. The inspiration for this sculpture came from the quote, “Wealth is not money or oil: wealth lies in people and it is worthless if not dedicated to serve the people”. A fitting sentiment on which to finish our tour, we made our way back to our car.to begin the long drive to the Empty Quarter.
May, 2023
Great article I will have to read some of your earlier trips.
Yeah!