Built in honour of the late Emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultran Al Nahyan, The Grand Mosque is a unique mix of Arab, Moroccan and Turkish architectural influences. Located on a large patch of desert, its a gleaming white building, hard to ignore from the main highways leading into the centre of the city. 

As the world's second largest mosque, it acts not only as a place of worship for Muslims, but also welcomes any visitor to take a tour of its extensive site. The Grand Mosque can accommodate just over 40,000 people for prayer. 

Featuring 80 domes, the Grand Mosque's main dome is 32.7 metres in diameter and stands 70 metres from the inside, 80 metres from the outside, the largest of its kind in the world. Tours are held daily, except Fridays, which is the sabbath day for Muslims.

Visitors are lent caftans and scarves, in keeping with traditional dress expected within the mosque, and are welcome to wander through the prayer halls, to closely examine the details of modern Middle Eastern architecture. 

The Grand Mosque features natural materials sourced from several countries such as Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, Greece as well as the United Arab Emirates. Several different types of marble, stone, crystal, ceramics and semi-precious stones are incorporated in the flooring, walls and ceiling, as well as extensive use of gold within the intricate mosaic and floral designs.

As this mosque benefitted from an extensive government budget, there are many lavish details found within: the largest handwoven Persian carpet in the world (7119 square metres), made specifically for the mosque and 20,000 handmade marble panels made for the prayer halls, which contain lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone and mother of pearl.

Minarets, standing 107 metres tall, flank the corners of the mosque, while several artificial lakes surround the building, as well as gardens and pools, reflecting the image of the mosque.

As a visitor, the Grand Mosque mirrors other buildings of worship, making you feel a bit insignificant in the face of such opulence. Yet, despite the millions spent in constructing this mosque, its goal is to provide access to anyone, no matter whether they are a pauper or a prince.