Historical influences and inspirations of the grand mosque
The mosque is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the United Arab Emirates. Born in 1918, Sheikh Zayed was the Emir of Abu Dhabi and is known for his contributions towards the social and economic development in the UAE (Torstrick & Faier, 2011).
Social and community roles of the mosque
Currently, the mosque is the eighth largest in the world and the key place of worship for the Friday gathering as well as Eid prayers (IBP, 2012).
Overview of the architectural and artistic design
More than 38 different contracting companies and over 3,000 workers were involved in the construction (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014). Materials were obtained from Greece, Germany, China, Italy, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Austria, and other nations. Foreign architectural designers from Italy, Germany, and other parts of Europe and Asia worked on the project.
Local and German contractors accomplished the first phases of developing the foundation and the concrete skeleton. Greek and Italian contractors using white marbles from their countries finished decorations. The interior design was assigned to calligraphers from Jordan, Syria, and the UAE.
Facades and location
The Grand Mosque is located in the central part of the New Abu Dhabi City between Maqta and Musaffah Bridges. The government spent about AED 2.5billion (Davidson, 2013). The complex covers an area of about 22,413 square meters (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014). In addition, more than 30,000 tons of steel and over 250,000 tons of concrete were used in the construction (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014). Below these structures, more than 6,500 piles were used in the foundation (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014). The courtyard within the complex has more than 1,047 columns. In addition, the mosque has 82 domes, with the largest dome (the mosque dome) measuring about 32 meters in diameter and 85 meters in height (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014). The main prayer hall has a capacity of holding over 7,000. On the other hand, the total capacity of the hall is over 40,000 (Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, 2014).
The effects of light and water
Surrounding the mosque are reflective pools that amplify the beauty of the structure. When light strikes on the pools, a beautiful scene is created by the blue light (Design Arch, 2014). Striking gold and white colors were used to decorate the exterior parts as well as the wall around the structure. These colors shine in the sun, producing a pleasant experience. At night, a unique lighting system is used to produce light to reflect the different phases of the moon.
Individual architectural elements
The courtyard within the complex has more than 1,047 columns. In addition, the mosque boasts 82 domes (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014). The domes have seven different sizes, with the largest dome (the mosque dome) measuring about 32 meters in diameter and 85 meters in height (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014). The mosque has four large minarets, with each minaret positioned at each corner of the structure, each measuring about 107 meters in height.
The main prayer hall can accommodate more than 7,000 people while the total capacity of the mosque is over 41,000 people (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014).
The courtyard has a floral design and extensive mosaic patterns considered one of the best examples of marble mosaics in the modern world.
Interior furnishings
Unique plants deigned for the mosque have been installed. In addition, verses of the Holly Quran are written in various languages.
The carped covers about 5,620 square meters in the prayer hall. The designers used hand-knotted material, which employed more than 1,300 Iranian artisans to work on12 tons of cotton and 35 tons of wool (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014). The carpet has more than 2,260,000 knots, making it the largest in the modern world (Abu Dhabi Government Gateway, 2014).
Materials and medium
As mentioned above, the materials in the structure include marbles from Italy, Greece, and Austria. A number of other mosaic patterns from India, Korea, Spain, Austria, Iran, Germany, and other parts of the world.
Possible sources of influence
It is evident that the designers were influenced by a number of historical structures, architectural and artistic designs in various parts of the world. For instance, the overall design of the structure is a Mugal architectural design, a type of Moorish architecture common in the Arabic Maghrebian (Western Arab world) such as southern parts of Spain as well as other regions occupied by the Moors such as North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. The historical aspects can be traced to the Moor expansion in the western world between 12th and 14th centuries. For example, the interior of the mosque is similar to the Algiers building mosque in Algeria. The large domes are similar to other large domes such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Israel.
Personal reflection
The architects must have noted that Abu Dhabi and UAE in general are international cities that attract thousands of people from all over the world. Thus, they decided to use materials from various parts of the world as well as more than 5 international languages to write the Quran scripts on the walls and floors. Thus, the influence of international inspiration is evident. As noted earlier, the final plan was the work of more than 38 different designers. As noted earlier, the designers were influenced by Moorish architecture in Spain, North Africa and other parts of the world, Including the Carthage Mosques in North Africa. However, the particular designs imported from these sites have been modified to include other designs from various parts of the world.
References
Abu Dhabi Government Gateway. (2014). Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Web.
Davidson, C. M. (2013). After the Sheikhs: The Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies. London: OUP.
Design Arch. (2014). Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi. Web.
IBP. (2012). United Arab Emirates Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments. Abu Dhabi: IBP.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center. (2014). Sheikh Zayed and the Grand Mosque. Web.
Torstrick, R. L., & Faier, E. (2011). Culture and Customs of the Arab Gulf States. New York: ABC.