Cultural Tour: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

If there is one thing good about living abroad, it is being able to immerse in a totally different culture. It gives you a different set of eyes thus changing your perspective in a lot of things. Until now, I still feel lonely, and quite unadjusted yet to the expat life. There are days that I long to hop on that plane, sleep for nine and half hours, and wake up in Cebu. Truth is, it hasn't been easy and I know that most (if not all) expats feel the same way. 

So to ease the whole drama I've been feeling lately, I decided to take on a cultural tour.  After some research, I decided to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque for 2 reasons: 1: it's free, 2: it's very pretty in the pictures I see on social media.

If you go there in the morning and at this time of year, you only need these: 

Sunblock for both the body and face (these are still from PI given by Carl who works in Belo, thanks C!). Camera of course (and tripod if you go alone). And Hafilat Card. Note that starting Oct 1, the buses here in AUH are not accepting coins anymore. You have to buy the Hafilat Card which is 10 dhs and load it up with credits. One bus ride within AUH is only 2 dhs.

Would you believe that I got to spend only 4 dhs on this tour? Yes, and that's all for bus fare. #Winning Anyway, the bus numbers I know that goes to the Grand Mosque are 54 and 44. You can just do your research if these buses does not pass your area. The mosque is a bit far from the city and it will take approximately an hour to get there. The bus station nearest the mosque is about 10-15 mins walk. Not bad actually considering that I've been walking a lot lately. But if you do not want to walk that long, you can go there by taxi which will cost about 40-50 dhs from the city or hire a private car. 

Also, make sure that you wear comfortable shoes because there will be more walking inside. I suggest that you wear sneakers or workout shoes for that matter so that you won't hurt your feet. I made the terrible mistake of wearing ballet flats and ended with blisters on both feet. But I did not mind really, this place was too beautiful to think about those little nuisances. 

Another thing to take note of, make sure you eat a full meal before visiting. There is only one cafe inside the mosque which is expensive and the nearest baqala is beside the bus station. 

Outside the mosque, I walked this blue pavement all the way to the entrance in a scorching 33-35 degrees Celsius. I'm almost there, no time to back out now.

As mentioned earlier, there is no entrance fee collected for going inside. This mosque receives more than a million visitors per year. And as much as a lot of people see this place as a tourist spot, let us not forget that a mosque is a temple for the Muslims. This place is sacred thus, rules should be followed to adhere to the moral codes of Islam. 

I personally think that it's kind of them to share this mosque to everyone from all over the world, it should not be too hard for us visitors to follow. 

For women, the abaya and shela are a must in entering the mosque. It's great that they let you borrow those for free. You just have to go to the basement, present an ID (not a passport or Emirates card), and you will be ready to go.

For men, if you wear pants and shirt, you can get in with no problem. For those who are wearing shorts, they also let you borrow white robes. 

Excuse me for the selfie, this wasn't in the church yet ok? This was in the basement parking lot where the changing room is located.

It is notable to mention that they have prepared umbrellas ready for use, drinking fountains in almost all corners, and wheelchairs for anyone's disposal. 

The mosque is open to the public daily (Sunday-Thursday) from 9am - 10pm. On Fridays, it's only open for worshipers since it is their day of rest.  If you want to have the full cultural experience, you can check the guided tour schedules down below. I realized that the best time to visit the mosque is in the afternoon, around 4-5pm. It's when the sun is not too hot already but still visible. This makes your photos look vibrant still and, you will be able to see the mosque at night when all the lights are turned on. I'll definitely be going back for that experience. 

I was not able to go with the tour because I arrived around 12nn so I just walked around and followed all the other tourists.

You will find a lot of these paintings on the walls of the mosque.

This reminds me of my adult coloring book I left at home. 

Here are some facts I learned about the Grand Mosque:

• 3rd largest mosque in the world (after Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia)
• Named after it's founder who is the 1st President of UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
• Took almost 12 years to finish with 3,500 workers helping to make this mosque a reality
• Can accommodate about 40,000 worshipers all together
• This also the final resting place of the late President who died in 2004

Do you see those holes on that tower-looking structure? Those are actually lights. I can just imagine how beautiful the place would look like at night. (I must definitely go back)

These are just some of the domes which constitute the total of 82 domes for the whole mosque.

More domes. 

The mosque is surrounded with reflective pools which intensifies the beauty of this place.

The courtyard has a total of 1,048 columns. 

After so many attempts, I kinda got it right. I should bring a tripod next time. I just put my camera on tables and chairs to have a photo like this one.

Note: Remember that this is a temple. Do not bring your inner Tyra Banks in front of the camera. No jumping shots also. Also the guards and the personnel manning the mosque are not allowed to take your photos. 

The outside of the mosque is really beautiful and picturesque but the inside is another story. Just before you get in, you have to take off your shoes.

This is in one of those areas where you remove your shoes. The shelves you see behind me is where you put it.

More facts about the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque:

• Home to the largest hand-knotted carpet
• Has one of the world's largest chandelier
• Has chandeliers gilded with 24-karat gold

The entrance to the main hall. 

This was just a part of the 5700 square meter carpet which was created for a span of 2 years with about 1,200 artisans who worked on it. This carpet is made of 70% wool, 30% cotton. 

Inside the main hall, my neck got sore from all the looking up I did. The ceiling and chandelier were intricately beautiful. I haven't seen anything like it before. 

The carpet is predominantly green in color, a favorite of the late Sheikh.

If you go hungry, there's a cafe inside the compound, it has coffee, sandwiches, soda and juices.

Just beside the cafe is a souvenir shop where you can buy trinkets of cute stuff you can bring home.

Visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was totally amazing. I couldn't think of an even better way that I could have spent my day. Whether you're an expat or a local or just a tourist, this place should be on your list. Truly commendable. The architecture, both the exterior and interior design is enthralling. It delights your senses and most importantly, it excites both intellectual and emotional admiration. Truly a masterpiece.  

Bye Beautiful, see you again soon!



xo,

jas

Hongkong Photo Diary 1

Almost a year ago, Jp and I went on an out of country trip together in Hongkong. Fast forward to this day, I have not completely sorted out our photos yet. I have yet to edit hundreds more or just leave them in my google drive to rot forever. When I decided to resurrect this blog, I edited about 30 photos which I think is enough to create about 2 posts.

Our trip was planned entirely on our own. We book our tickets online and book our hotel through Agoda. We did the common touristy things you have to do in HK but missed out on going to Disneyland only because both of us were not up to it.

So here are the throwback photos and I'll try my best to label each one of them to give you a little story.

This was the tram we rode going to Victoria's Peak on our first day. The Peak Tram experience will give you an optical illusion of tilted buildings on the way up. You have got to try it.

Once you're at the Peak, you will have a 360-degree view of the city. December 2014 is very memorable for me cos it's my first out of country trip with Jp.

We really planned on going there in the afternoon so we will have both the day view and the night view.

Hongkong is spectacular at night. It is also a concrete jungle. The lights you see from Victoria's Peak is amazing.

Of course, I have got to have a touristy shot.

Another touristy thing that we did was to go to Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and the Avenue of Stars. We rode the early morning train at 6:30 and completed our little morning walk at around 9 am already.

These little resting pieces are really intended for sitting down and relaxing. I just don't know what they are called.

I love how there is Starbucks at the far end of the promenade where I can enjoy my coffee frappuccino on a chilly December morning. (Yes, I prefer cold coffee vs hot coffee)

Where to next?

This is one of my favorite shots where Jp was able to make the passing double-decker bus my background. Cheers to boyfriends who make it right (sometimes)! Haha ooppsss and one more, isn't it amazing that I look slimmer in this angle compared to all the other pics I have? Ok, I'm making this my most favorite picture now xx

Trivia: As of this writing, Jp has already lost about 50+ lbs from when this was taken. Note to self: Always maintain a fit physique. You will never know when that next travel photo will be taken :p (Or you can always hide it behind cool-looking sweatshirt like I did)

Obviously I took this photo. Not too bad. But his version was better because of the double-decker bus which happened to pass by.

I know I look like a poser but allow me just this once to try hard and give em that cmon-do-i-look-like-a-tourist-now face!

I know I have more photos of the Avenue of Stars walkway but I couldn't seem to find it. (Note to self: I need to catalogue my pictures as soon as possible.) I haven't been really telling you guys where to go and what to do in HK. You see, it's one of the most famous, let alone most common Asian destination so those who have been going back and forth in HK will surely have a better review and ideas on where and what to do. Or you can always scout the internet so your itinerary will better fit your kind of vacation.

Tata for now! More photos on the next post ♥♥


xo,

jas