Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Mosque

Address: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Website: https://www.szgmc.gov.ae/

Hours: Sat-Thu 9:00am-10:00pm; Fri 4:30pm-10:00pm (visitor hours; prayer times observed)

Admission: Free (admission to mosque is free; guided tours offered)

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is a modern monumental mosque opened in the early 21st century and commissioned by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It is one of the largest mosques in the United Arab Emirates and a prominent cultural landmark.

Visitors see a large main prayer hall with monumental domes, ornate marble cladding and a vast hand-knotted carpet, plus expansive courtyards with reflective pools and inlaid floral designs. The complex is known for its scale, white marble surfaces and decorative calligraphy and inlay work from a number of countries.

The mosque was initiated in the late 20th century by Sheikh Zayed, who intended it as a national place of worship and landmark; construction continued into the 2000s and the complex opened in stages to the public.

The mosque is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on the mainland within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and accessible from the city center by road.

• Capacity and opening period: The mosque opened to the public in the early 21st century and has a capacity for tens of thousands of worshippers, often cited as approximately 40,000 in total across all halls and courtyards.
• Notable interior features: The interior contains one of the world’s largest hand-knotted carpets in the main prayer hall and extensive marble and mosaic decoration sourced from multiple countries.

What to See#

• Main prayer hall: The main prayer hall, featuring a large central dome and expansive carpeted floor space spacious enough for tens of thousands of worshippers.
• Courtyard and arcades: The marble-floored central courtyard with reflecting pools and extensive floral inlay work, surrounded by covered arcades and walkways.

• Book one of the mosque's free guided tours (available in multiple languages) to get architectural and cultural context you'll miss on a self-guided visit.
• Arrive in the late afternoon to see the mosque at sunset-light on the white marble and the illuminated domes is especially photogenic-and avoid the large tour-bus groups that arrive mid-morning.
• Women's abayas are provided free at the visitor entrance; use the official visitor center entrance and displays to save time and ensure you're following the mosque's dress and conduct policies.