MO goes Around the World

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and home to the seat of government. It sits off the mainland on an island in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf.

It may be difficult to see but the greeters are twirling objects (including a replica of a rifle)

So I opted for a small group tour to include a view of the city-state from one of the Ethiad Towers and a couple other sights.

It’s a restaurant too! But a little pricey for my budget.
AED 40 is about $11.
Great views of the city. The large white building in the distance is Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
The opposite direction.
Outside The Royal Palace
Inside. Amazing inlays.
And chandeliers.

From the opulent palace we went to the Shiekh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world.

The visitor entrance to the mosque is underground (Disney would be proud) through a shopping mall. Women must wear an abaya and head covering to enter the mosque. And yes, there are fashion police.
There are more than 80 marble domes on a roofline held aloft by 1000 pillars and punctuated by four 107 m-high minarets. The mosque is one of the few in the region open to non-Muslims.
I think this confirms that black is not my color.
More beautiful inlays. The center of the flower is mother-of-pearl.
More beautiful Swarovski chandeliers and the largest rug in the world. Made in Turkey specifically for this room. Three hundred people worked for several years to create the rug.
A clock that keeps track of the six prayer times for Muslims

It was a long, very warm day. We opted for bed instead of the ship’s show ahead of a long day tomorrow.

Marianne Harris

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