No visit to Abu Dhabi would be complete without seeing the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in all its glossy glory; we knew that much for certain. But a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque at night was more spectacular than I could’ve imagined. Like pretty much everywhere I’ve visited so far in the United Arab Emirates, this wondrous temple blew my mind not just with its sheer size and spectacle, but also when it came to how and why the Grand Mosque came in to existence.
Was it built as a place of worship for the citizens of Abu Dhabi, or as a landmark to impress and attract tourists? Or maybe it’s a bit of both. (In fact- almost certainly a bit of both. Not that I think there’s anything wrong with that.)
We visited Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque at night-time in January 2022, when there were a whole load of Covid rules to follow on top of the strict dress code and normal policy of behaviour. Here are the ins and outs of how we did it.
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First: How to visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Sheik Zayed Mosque opening hours for visitors
From Saturday to Thursday, visitors are welcome from 9am until 10pm.
On Fridays, visitors times to the Grand Mosque are from 2pm until 6pm, and then 9pm until 11.30pm.
During Ramadan, Sheikh Zayed Mosque timings for visitors are 10am-6pm and 9pm-11.30pm Saturday to Thursday, and 2pm-6pm and 9pm-11.30pm on Fridays.
Is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque free to visit?
Entry to the mosque is completely free of charge (woohoo!), but tourists should register their visit beforehand on the mosque’s website. Pop your details and estimated time of arrival into the online form, and you will be given a QR code to show at the entrance when you arrive.
Visitors also need to scan their QR codes at various points around the mosque itself; presumably this means that once you enter, your exact whereabouts can fairly precisely be determined just by looking at where you last scanned your QR code. Spooky.
What is the dress code for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque?
Wherever you go in the United Arab Emirates, it’s important to dress modestly out of respect, but this applies even more when it comes to visiting mosques.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque dress code exists for men and women, with slightly different rules for each. Women visiting the Sheikh Zayed Mosque (or any mosque at all, let’s face it), should be as covered up as possible. You should wear either a long, loose fitting dress, or a loose fitting top and trousers.
Tight trousers or jeans are an absolute no-go area, tops should not be low-cut, and wrists and ankles should be covered. Tops should not have any profanity on them, whether words or pictures. And see-through clothing is also absolutely not allowed, so don’t even try it.
The dress code also requires that women’s hair be covered at all times with a headscarf.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque dress code for men is a little easier to adhere to. Shorts are not allowed, and trousers should be full-length. Shirt sleeves should also cover at least over the elbow, and there should be no profanities on your clothing.
How to get from Abu Dhabi cruise port to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Onwards to our own visit, and learning from my own mistakes. If I can recommend you one thing when it comes to visiting the United Arab Emirates, it is to never get in to a tourist taxi. They are highly likely to overcharge you.
We arrived in Abu Dhabi’s cruise terminal in the early evening, and headed out ASAP, with the sole intention of getting to the Grand Mosque before it closed. We were immediately surrounded by several taxi drivers promising to take us wherever we wanted to go, slinking up to us holding cardboard signs with photos of different Abu Dhabi landmarks on them.
“I take you here, here, and here. We make a photo stop in each place. Beautiful. Come. Now, we go.”
The taxi drivers know exactly what body language to use as they declare “Come now. I will take you”- a forceful beckon and a purposeful stride in the direction of their car, keys in hand- which to the untrained newcomer is almost impossible not to just go along with. Once you’re in the car, there’s no backing out, and these fixed tourist prices are high.
However, realising that time was not on our side and feeling increasingly pressured from the demands of “I WILL TAKE YOU,” we admitted defeat. We would have to go with one of these drivers. We managed to haggle our second approacher, Abdul, down slightly, after insisting that we didn’t want any kind of tour or extra photo stops.
“No thankyou. We literally just want to go to the mosque. And back. That’s it.”
Abdul was visibly annoyed that we didn’t want a four hour grand tour of Abu Dhabi, but even he had to admit that a job’s a job. He charged us 180 dirham for the round trip, which is around €45, though most taxi drivers were asking for at least 250 dirham.
If you’re not up for the cruise terminal taxi experience, consider using Careem, Uber, or flagging a taxi down outside the port. It’ll cost around half of what we paid.
Tours to the Grand Mosque
Or: if you’d rather cut the taxi business altogether, you could book onto a tour, where a driver will take you to several places in Abu Dhabi. This half-day tour is a great option: it takes you to the Grand Mosque, Etihad Towers, and the Qasr Al Atan Palace.
This is a similar tour which includes a visit to the mosque and Qasr Al Atan, but also takes you to the Heritage Village to learn about bedouin culture, and on to the Abu Dhabi dates market.
Enter via the Mall
We whizzed through the wide roads of Abu Dhabi in darkness, as car headlamps buzzed past us and skyscrapers towered like neon statues overhead. After almost half an hour’s drive, we approached the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
And let me tell you, this is one grand structure! It’s so mahoosive that you really can’t miss it. The onion domes and minarets were all lit up in blue, giving the impression of part ancient temple and part futuristic space time machine. Abdul pulled into the enormous car park and then followed the road underground to the visitors entrance, pointing out to remember which entrance was ours.
Although we had both dressed in the loose-fitting, fully covered-up clothes which are required of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque dress code, I didn’t own a scarf to cover my hair with. What an idiot. Abdul told me not to worry and produced a pashmina from the back seat of the taxi, which he then twisted artfully around my face, getting rather too grope-y in the neck area and accidentally-on-purpose brushing a boob for a second too long, before proceeding to help Rachel arrange hers in a way that would stay fixed.
Despite the handsy nature of the headscarf-swathing, I feigned obliviousness and smiled a gracious smile to Abdul for helping a gal out.
“Okay. That is where you go.”
He pointed us in the direction of some sliding glass doors.
“I will be here. Go.”
Done and done. We made our way across the underground car park to the entrance, which definitely looked more like the way in to a shopping mall than a religious building.
And that, my friends, is because that’s exactly what it was.
The way to visit the mosque, is via a large, shiny, brand new shopping mall. A man asked us to show our Covid documents on our phones, and then we made our way in a dazed state past the stores.
Why were we inside a shopping mall?? Was this really the Grand Mosque? Or had Abdul tricked us because we haggled his price down??
We passed a Mothercare, several fashion stores selling sequin-embroidered hijabs, and a large supermarket. There were lots of coffee shops and fast food restaurants still open, and people sat outside Cinnabon and Starbucks, using wifi and guzzling sugary frappaccinos. I’m not sure exactly what I’d expected, but let me tell you- this was not it.
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Actually entering the Grand Mosque
Eventually we reached the security line, where anyone dressed unsuitably for the Sheikh Zayed Mosque dress code was singled out to pull their socks up or go and find a scarf. (Thank goodness for Abdul and his headscarf-lending. The uncomfortableness of the neck stroking and boob grazing all of a sudden seemed a manageable price to pay for a headscarf-loan.)
A lovely lady in her own much lovelier headscarf explained the rules to us before we were allowed to pass the rope barrier. No shows of affection, only standing side by side. Only take pictures at the designated photo stops. No hand gestures of any kind. Keep voices hushed. Keep hair covered.
It all seemed very logical to me. I have only visited one other mosque before, in Mauritius, and that was an altogether more casual affair. The same behaviour and dress code rules applied, but that particular mosque was a far smaller place of worship which doesn’t receive anywhere near as many visitors, so nobody really needed to explain the rules there. They’re not that different to visiting any other place of worship, really.
Rules explained, it was on to the travelators, as if we were heading off on our jolly holidays at Gatwick airport. Or being transported via conveyor belt to a spaceship, either/or. Air conditioning kept us cool and the walls and floors were so shiny that I could almost see my reflection rippling past in them.
We glided through spacious halls, passing pictures of Sheikh Zayed gazing outwards with wise eyes underneath a raised eyebrow, along with some of his most well-known quotes and a selection of Sheikh Zayed Mosque facts.
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Behold! The Sheikh Zayed Mosque Facts !
First of all, the mosque is named after- and was the vision of- Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. If you’re not too sure about who that is, never fear pals! I am here to help; he’s still kind of a big deal around here.
Sheikh Zayed was the founder and ruler of the United Arab Emirates from 1971 until his death in 2004; the Grand Mosque is also his final resting place. He wanted to build this grandest of grand temples as a symbol of peace, love and tolerance. It wouldn’t just be a place for Muslims to come and worship, but also where visitors would be welcome to come and learn about Islam. Work began on the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in 1996, and the Sheikh sadly died before its completion 12 years later.
But what a legacy to leave. In the United Arab Emirates, bigger is better, and there’s no denying the grandeur of this mosque. There are 82 marble domes, the largest handwoven carpet in the entire world, gargantuan Swarovski crystal chandeliers, and the building can hold 40,000 worshippers. It took over 3000 artisans from around the world to complete this stunner of a structure; that kind of crazy level of collaboration reminds me of the Sagrada Família, only that construction is still in progress.
And my favourite and most magical Sheikh Zayed Mosque fact of the day: at night the mosque is lit up resplendently from the outside, but the lighting changes throughout the moon’s cycle. At the time we visited it was towards the new moon, hence the darker blue lighting. When the moon is full, the lighting is brighter. Which I think is pretty cool, to be honest.
The mosque at night-time
The escalator deposited us outside the mosque, where we followed a very minimal flow of people towards the main entrance. It really was quiet, and the only sound we could hear was the hypnotic call to prayer echoing through the air. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the call to prayer before pals, but it is a peaceful and lovely treat for the ears, let me tell you.
The marble floor of the main courtyard was so highly polished that during our night-time visit it looked like a pool, sending reflections of the royal blue domes and golden archways rippling back at us. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a boat rowing across it, and I kept having to remind myself that it’s actually completely solid.
We followed the covered walkway around the edge, where marble pillars are inlaid with amethyst, jasper, mother-of-pearl and gold. It’s like a palace out of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, except for being brand new and space-age feeling. Stewards in black suits stand around the edge with walkie talkies, ready to shoo people away from cordoned-off areas and stop them taking photos where they shouldn’t.
Inside the building, walls are adorned with colourful flowers which wind intricately upwards from the floor, and rooms are lit with dazzling chandeliers. We entered the main prayer hall with its massive ornate pillars and that mammoth hand-woven carpet- which took 1,200 people to make. Sage green with beautiful pink flowers scattered across it; I dread to think how long it takes to hoover that thing.
I don’t think anyone could ever visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and be underwhelmed; it’s just not possible. It took us around an hour to walk around before we headed back through the underground mall to find Abdul in the car park.
The perfect place to view the Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Once we were back in the taxi, things started out fine-ish. Abdul announced that he was now going to take us somewhere else, and I will admit that it was worth going to this second pitstop.
(But it wasn’t without its weirdness.)
He drove us over to Wahat Al Karama, a war memorial directly opposite Sheikh Zayed Mosque, parked the car and led us to a shallow pool surrounded by a small amphitheatre. This really was a pool of water, and in the darkness it perfectly reflected the glowing domes and minarets of the mosque.
“Thankyou so much for taking us here Abdul!” Good lad, we thought.
He took out his phone and directed us to the centre of the pool’s edge to take photos, where we posed in the style of two slightly awkward clowns on day release from the circus, before we handed him Rachel’s phone instead. Next he marched purposely up some steps and directed us onto a concrete bench to continue taking photos with his phone. Again, we handed Rachel’s over for him to use instead.
I’ll be honest, both me and Rachel are the kind of people who definitely both appreciate a few photos when we visit somewhere, but a full-on photoshoot isn’t our normal style. Still, we went along with Abdul’s grand plan because he’d been kind enough to take us there, after all.
And maybe Abdul got a great new lock screen out of it. Of me and Rachel. Posing awkwardly. He tugged at Rachel’s jacket to get her to take it off for the photo.
Had he made a few awkward remarks about us being beautiful princesses at this stage? And mimicked our accents in a way that was starting to get a bit annoying? Why yes, yes he had. Combine that with his new collection of photos and the handsy-headscarf-wrapping and I was starting to feel like Abdul had an ulterior motive here.
He wasn’t exactly sure how to achieve his ulterior motive. But he had one for sure.
A final note on Abdul the taxi driver
By the time we got back into the taxi- insisting that while we loved the view from Wahat Al Karama, we really didn’t need another photoshoot- I was feeling mildly uncomfortable. And I’m pretty sure Rachel was too.
I don’t think he just wanted a big tip, if you know what I’m saying.
The journey began in silence, which Abdul was kind of annoyed about.
“Why are you quiet???” he asked accusatorally. “You should be talking! Don’t be shy.”
We changed tack and I decided maybe it would be good to just engage in all the conversation. We discovered that Abdul is from Bengal but has lived in Abu Dhabi for many many years, and (if I remember correctly) his parents had lived there too. After a while I realised maybe all the personal questions were giving the impression that we were extremely interested in Abdul, in an ulterior motive kind of a style, and decided to go down the family route instead. The guy was wearing a wedding ring after all. I.e. let’s try and shame him into backing off.
“Do you have children Abdul?”
He has children in Bengal, and a wife of course, who he sees once a year when he flies back home. All this actually was interesting. Around 30% of the UAE’s population is Indian, and I was curious about what it’s like to live there. But after a while we’d run out of things to say. Abdul had told us one time too many not to worry about his wife, and we were mostly just willing the journey to come to an end ASAP.
“Why are you so quiet again?? You’re sad because you realise now that I have a wife! But never mind about her. It’s ok, I am alone here. I am all alone in Abu Dhabi, don’t worry!”
Oh Abdul. Abdul, Abdul Abdul. I think I can speak for both me and Rachel when I say that taxi ride was just a lot.
Is it worth it to visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque at night?
Walking around the Sheikh Zayed Mosque gave me a similar feeling to the one I got walking through the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. Sometimes things are built not just for practical reasons, but to inspire absolute awe throughout the rest of the world. That’s what Louis XIV did with old Versailles, and I’m pretty sure that was Sheikh Zayed’s intention with the Grand Mosque.
And he pretty much hit the nail on the head with the awe-inspiration. This isn’t just a place to pray, but also to be impressed at the masterful vision of the founding father of the United Arab Emirates. There’s no denying its beauty, and its architectural magnificence.
Is it worth it to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque?
Absolutely unequivocally, yes. Just don’t ask Abdul to take you there.
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Wow the mosque looks astonishing..specially with the lights.thanks for sharing details
The mosque looks so magnificent. I can’t wait to visit it.
Such a stunning mosque – love how pretty it looks when it lights up!
The mosque looks beautiful to visit in the evening time. It’s something I wouldn’t have thought of doing.
Some really helpful tips here. I can’t wait to visit the Sheik Zayed mosque & your pics are stunning. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences.