What an adventure we had getting to Abu Dhabi. Thursday afternoon just before sailing from Muscat for a peaceful day at sea and then a Saturday visit in Abu Dhabi, we were informed that due to the International Triathlon in Abu Dhabi, all roads in and out of the port would be closed on Saturday! Therefore the ship was going to go full speed ahead and reach Abu Dhabi by Friday afternoon at 3pm for an evening visit. First problem was getting hold of our tour operator in time to inform him of our sudden change in plans and try to get our tour changed to Friday evening from Saturday morning. Second problem - Friday is the Muslim holy day and mosques are closed! The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the highlight of the cruise so this was a major issue. In the end our tour operator was able to secure a bus, driver, and guide for the evening tour, and the port authorities were granted a huge exception from the mosque to allow visitors in from 4:30 to 5:30pm. Dodged the bullet on that one!
We started with a brief visit to Abu Dhabi Heritage Village, showing life in Bedouin times.
The Emirates Palace Hotel is Abu Dhabi's answer to Dubai's Burj al Arab.
And they have their share of modern architecture!
First view of the Grand Mosque.
The mosque was opened in December 2007 and cost $3 Billion dollars to build! It contains the largest carpet in the world, the largest crystal chandelier in the world, and has room for 70,000 worshipers! It is built of gleaming marble and inlaid with precious stones. It is truly one of the most breath-taking architectural monuments anywhere in the world. The Taj Mahal pales in comparison.
It's so big it's difficult to capture the whole thing in one picture. It's like 10 Taj Mahals in one!
The courtyard is the largest mosaic in the world.
The 'small' Svarovski crystal chandelier in the foyer!
The grand Svarovski Crystal chandelier
This view shows about one half of the interior area!
This shows the three main chandeliers and the length of the mosque.
Ornate arches and gilded pillars outside the mosque
Babs and Ruth with our guide Marita
I'm taking a picture of the group taking a picture of me. :)
We leave the mosque at dusk.
Lights come on and reflect in the pools.
The Grand Mosque from a distance as darkness settles.
The 'Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi' with more than 5 times the leaning angle of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Of course, here it was built this way on purpose to become a symbol of Abu Dhabi.
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