WE ARE OFFICIALLY “MOSQUED-OUT.” A mouthful to say and a sight to behold, the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nayhan Grand Mosque was under construction when we last saw it in ‘06 and is the main reason we came back to Abu Dhabi — four towering minarets and 82 domes sparkling white under the blazing desert sun. Inside there is room for 41,000 faithful to pray on the world’s largest hand-woven carpet, surrounded by more than 1000 marble columns.
Dressed for the occassion
Our short pants didn’t meet the strict dress code so we donned complimentary abbayas, white for me and basic black for Connie. When I looked around for her after snapping a photo, it was like the bowler hat scene from the Thomas Crowne Affair. Which black clad figure was my honey?
Connie? Connie, where are you?
I spied a couple in genuine Arab garb and asked for a photo. Surprise, they were “impostors” from Malaga, Spain!
Impostors from Spain The real McCoy
In only 50 years, Abu Dhabi has transformed from a dusty mud-brick fishing village on the edge of the desert to a 21st Century futuristic marvel, with attractions like Legoland, Ferrari World, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. If you like big-city life, have the cash and don’t mind the heat (the average temperature is over 100F for six months of the year) this is the place for you.
Circa 1950
