• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

MOSQUES AND MUSEUMS OF THE UAE (MASJID SHEIKH ZAYED, SHARJAH MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION)

April 16, 2015 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

Abu Dhabi, Sharjah & Other Cities, United Arab Emirates

Once little more than a collection of small kingdoms tucked away on the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, the region now known as the United Arab Emirates has grown from a relatively unimportant mercantile enclave into a world economic powerhouse.  Since the end of World War II, vast reserves of oil have made this small country into one of the world’s wealthiest; and the emirs have used much of this money to transform their kingdoms into a showcase of modern Islamic architecture and culture.  From the national capital of Abu Dhabi to the economic capital of Dubai to the cultural capital of Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates’ cities gleam with some of the finest modern mosques and museums in the entire Islamic world.

History

The region now incorporated into the United Arab Emirates has long been inhabited by local Bedouin tribes; but for all intents and purposes the UAE’s modern history began with the discovery and exploitation of the region’s oil in the mid-20th century.  Vast amounts of wealth flowed into Western Arabia in the post-war years, and in the 1960s, as the European colonial empires were breaking up, seven of the nine emirates of western Arabia organized themselves into a new nation.  Centered around the large cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, these emirates included Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah, but not Bahrain or Qatar.

Most of the subsequent history of the UAE largely revolves around the mindboggling economic growth that these kingdoms have enjoyed in the four decades since independence.  During the latter half of the 20th century the UAE has grown from a population of tens of thousands to nearly six million, doubling between 2000 and 2009 alone!  Despite this population explosion the nation’s per capita GDP is among the highest in the Muslim world.  Vast sums of this money have gone not only to the construction of gleaming new cities and skyscrapers, but to a host of massive new mosques and Islamic cultural institutions as well.

Beginning in the 1990s, the seven chief cities of the emirates have vied to construct the most magnificent mosque in Western Arabia.  In 2007, Abu Dhabi effectively won the unofficial rivalry with the completion of the Masjid Sheikh Zayed, the most magnificent mosque in the UAE and one of the ten largest in the world.  It is unlikely that Abu Dhabi’s supremacy will be eclipsed anytime soon, but with the countless piles of money available throughout the UAE, nothing is certain.

The seven chief cities of the emirates have also been working to outdo each other culturally, founding colleges, libraries, museums, performance and sports venues by the boatload.  Despite serious competition from Dubai, the emirate of Sharjah has emerged as the UAE’s cultural capital, and offers some of the finest attractions in the entire Arabian Peninsula.  The most interesting by far, especially from a religious standpoint, is the recently opened Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, one of the greatest museums of its kind in the world.

Visiting

The Masjid Sheikh Zayed is not only the largest mosque in the UAE, it is one of the most spectacular mosques in the Arabian Peninsula.  More than any other major mosque in the world, it appears like a movie set; an idealized vision that might have been born in Hollywood in the 1940s.  Built of brilliant white stone, a veritable mountain range of gleaming white domes sprouts from every inch of the main prayer building and all of the walls.  Four impossible tall and slender minarets crowned with golden spires grace the corners of the courtyard.  The Masjid Sheikh Zayed also holds two world’s records: one for the single largest carpet, and one for the world’s biggest chandalier.

The great gold-domed building that houses the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization can easily be mistaken for a mosque.  Originally built in the 1980s, it was recently renovated and expanded to accommodate its sizeable collection of over five thousand Muslim artifacts.  There are amazing exhibits on history, science, art and most importantly, religion.  The Islamic Faith Gallery is a one-of-a-kind look at the Muslim religion, and includes an impressive collection of artifacts related to the Hajj as well as many old, historic and beautiful Qur’ans.

The Masjid Sheikh Zayed sprawls on the outskirts of the city center of Abu Dhabi, about 85 miles southwest of Dubai.  It is open to both Muslims and non-Muslims.  It is, in fact, one of the few major mosques in the world that actively encourages non-Muslim visitors to take a tour.  As of this writing the cost of admission was not available.  The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is located in the Heritage and Arts District in the center of Sharjah, less than 10 miles northwest of Dubai.  It is open daily from 8:00am-8:00pm (closes early on Fridays).  The cost of admission is Dhs10.00.  Web: www.visitabudhabi.ae (official tourism website of Abu Dhabi).

Other Sites

All seven of the emirates now boast, or will soon boast, spectacular new mosques which are the envy of the Middle East.  Aside from the Masjid Sheikh Zayed, the next two best known are the Grand Mosque of Dubai and the Masjid Faisal in Sharjah.  Each of the seven is now home to at least one small museum dedicated to the local history and culture, including the Dubai Museum, the Heritage Museum of Sharjah, the Ajman Museum, the Umm Al-Qaiwain Museum, the Ras Al-Khaimah Museum and the Fujairah Museum.  But Sharjah is the UAEs museum city, and is home to both the Sharjah Art Museum and the Sharjah Archaeological Museum.

Filed Under: Museums and Libraries, Muslim Tagged With: Arabia

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Comments

  1. sharif says

    January 12, 2018 at 11:51 pm

    Thank you very much for sharing information that will be much helpful for making coursework my effective.

    Reply
    • Howard Kramer says

      March 3, 2018 at 2:28 pm

      You are welcome. I try to always make my research as thorough as possible. I hope it helps!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.