Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Yesterday we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, burial site of the first President of the UAE.  It is the largest mosque here and opened in 2007.  During Ramadan, up to 40,000 worshipers daily come to prayers.  Its design and interiors were influenced by many countries such as Greece, Morocco, China, India, Italy, Germany, and several other countries.  This represents the UAE's welcoming of different cultures and faiths.  Over 3000 workers labored for 12 years to complete it, at a cost of around $2 billion.  There are over 1,000 columns and 80 domes, all inlaid with beautiful artistry!  It was difficult sometimes to know where to look--almost overwhelming in its majesty.  We had to don an abaya (cloak) and hijab (scarf) and take off our shoes to enter the mosque.

Exterior of the Mosque:  This is one of the few mosques open to non-Muslims and was intended to be an educational resource for teaching about the Islamic faith.

This is the largest carpet in the world.  It was created in Iran by 1200 female weavers working over 2 years, around the clock.  It weighs 47 tons and was shipped to Abu Dhabi in 9 separate pieces and re-sewn inside the mosque.  There are raised lines incorporated into the carpet to show people where to kneel.

This is the main chandelier:  It was made in Germany and weighs 9 tons! It is 33 feet in diameter and 50 feet high.  (You can tell its relative size by looking at the tiny people standing below.)  It contains 40 million pieces of Swarovski crystals.  There is a staircase built inside so it can be cleaned and maintained!!  There are several other chandeliers that are similar, but smaller.

There are 4 minarets which rise over 370 feet high.  In the past, a Muezzin would climb the minaret to shout the call to prayer.  Our guide told us that now, "thanks to the miracle of Sony," that process is much simpler and saves the voice!!

Isn't this a gorgeous shot? 
There is 24 karat gold on the tops of the domes and semi-precious stones and materials used throughout on all the columns.

Me standing in the courtyard:  this special white tile does not heat up.  It's very cool to the touch, even in the strongest heat because the worshipers must touch their faces to the tile during prayer.  There are tiny cracks created in the tile to allow water to drain when it rains.

The "Azan" or Prayer Clock:  It announces each time for prayer.  This one is located in one of the two rooms set aside for women to use for prayer.

Once our tour of the mosque ended, we were taken to the Fairmont where we enjoyed listening to Ali Alsaloom (star of the "Ask Ali" TV program).  He is the local Emirati expert on intercultural affairs, and he spoke about our interactions with the locals and their cultural norms.  He was very humorous and entertaining, yet he still got his points across about our expectations of behavior.

After he spoke, we received our city and school assignments.  I will be placed in Al Ain (the city I requested) and teaching at the Al Esra'a Primary School.  I have requested 3rd grade, but won't know which grade I receive until next week.  I'm currently waiting to find out more about housing in Al Ain. 

After our assignments, we returned to our hotel for the night.  Waiting in my room was my newest towel creature, an alligator!  My room attendant, Rafael, hopes to work for a cruise line when he returns home to the Philippines.  He's doing an excellent job in my room!!!

We headed to Cooper's, an in-hotel location, for an exquisite cheeseburger (yes, in Paradise!!).  Delicious!!  Met up with some new friends and enjoyed Ladies' Night.

Today we are chilling out and doing nothing.  I'm so excited to just sit in my room for a while and catch up on e-mail and my blog.  Although we move at a more leisured pace than back home, the heat takes quite a bit out and can be enervating.