Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan envisioned a grand mosque for Abu Dhabi, his capital, meant to stand as a national symbol and a lasting testament to Islam's tolerance and openness to the world. Though he did not live to see it finished, his son and successor, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, completed the project and named it in his father's honor. Opened in 2007, it is among the largest mosques in the world and among the few open to non-Muslim visitors. Its design draws deliberately on Mughal, Moorish and Ottoman traditions: white marble cladding inlaid with floral motifs in colored stone, a crowd of domes, arcades whose columns are set in reflecting pools, and a prayer hall laid with an immense hand-knotted carpet. Sheikh Zayed is buried in the adjoining courtyard.
