Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid
Since its completion near the end of 2007, The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has undoubtedly become one of the UAE’s most coveted attractions. According to statistics compiled by the mosque, which is the emirates’ largest, the stunning landmark attracted 1.4 million worshippers and 3.4 million tourists in 2017, along with Iftar diners and students. The iconic place of worship in Abu Dhabi has even earned second place among the world’s top 25 tourist attractions on TripAdvisor’s 2016 Travellers’ Choice Awards. Coming in after Peru’s Machu Picchu, the world’s most prevalent travel website described it as “spectacular,” “splendid” and “breathtaking.”
The beautifully constructed mosque, which can accommodate as many as 40,000 people, stands out thanks to a design that is at once ancient and contemporary. While The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque incorporates different styles of architecture, melding local and international styles, there’s an outstanding aesthetic synchronisation. The magnificent prayer halls, exquisite tiling in the ablution rooms and the dazzling hand-crafted chandeliers all help make it a magnet for visitors. What’s more, the Grand Mosque is so special because it is unlike lots of other tourist attractions. Visitors can really focus on the spiritual essence the holy space provides and the minute details of the incredible decoration as there aren’t any distracting commercialised stalls or shops. The site also offers educational tours so visitors can learn about the cultural showpiece and the region’s religion and principles.
So easy to captivate the imagination, The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque offers endless photo opps for tourists and visitors, including some from our favourite A-listers and influencers. Unsurprisingly, as a result, there’s been a range of Instagram posts from celebrities in different parts of the awe-inspiring structure throughout the years.
Scroll through to see pictures of Rihanna, who was asked to leave due to impropriety, or Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, who were on a group visit with other celebs like Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and Devon Windsor. British starlet Dua Lipa and Melanie Elturk, the owner and CEO of online boutique, Haute Hijab also flocked towards the mosque when visiting the area. More gorgeous in-demand models like Halima Aden and Shanina Shaik, who has a father of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian descent and was raised as a Muslim, are some of the other famous faces on our favourites list.
Halima Aden
Rihanna
Camila Coelho
Paris Hilton
Shanina Shaik
Dua Lipa
Melanie Elturk
Chanel Iman
