Abu Dhabi -Sheik Zayed Grand mosque

The year 2015 ended with the demise of my wonderful father. I dawned an aching New Year with just two mind numbing thoughts. "How soon can I join my Dadda" and "Will life ever be the same until we are together". As difficult as it is, I know that my mother's heart too, was broken.

When we decided to get away, having read quite a few articles on the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, it hac always been in my "must visit" places. I have been privileged to visit the two largest mosques in the world - Mecca and Madina and with this, the third largest.

The grandeur and beauty can be seen from the outside just a few km away from the entrance rising 11m above sea level. Glistening pools surround the mosque amplifying the stunning architecture.

With over 1000 columns and 80 domes, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's dream was brought to life by skilful calligraphers from the UAE, Jordan and Syria. The wandering tourists are awestruck by the beautiful verses from the Quran embedded in arabic.

The largest dome (The main dome) is 85 meters high with a diameter of 32.8 meters. With lavish open spaces, the mosque is open for prayers to both muslims and non muslims. Despite the large crowds, you feel a sense of serenity, peace, the presence of power and kindness.

First opened for prayers in 2007, the mosque can host over 40,000 worshippers in the main prayer hall that show cases a hand knitted carpet of 5,600 square meters that took over 1,300 craftsmen to complete.

Another astonishing feature of the mosque is the over 5,625 m2 large carpet in the main prayer hall. It has been hand-knotted by about 1,300 Iranian craftsmen.

A prayer for Dad and one hour later, well worth the visit and as long as I return to Abu Dhabi, this will always be my place of serenity.

The (true) servants of (God) the most gracious are those who walk the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, reply with (words of) peace - Quran 25:63.