We set off on a two hour bus ride to Abu Dhabi with the sandstorm still blowing over our head. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and the name means “Fatherland of the Gazelle” (Abu = father / fatherland of; Dhabi = gazelle). It is an island in the Arabian Sea barely off the coast of the UAE. Unlike Dubai, the main income in Abu Dhabi is still oil exports but they are planning for the day when there will be no more oil. So, like Dubai, Abu Dhabi is diversifying and building infrastructure for business, trade and tourism. According to our guide, Abu Dhabi has been more considered and thoughtful in their building than Dubai. Where Dubai is known to build a spectacular hotel and then build the infrastructure to support it, Abu Dhabi generally builds the infrastructure then waits for the money before building … (all of this is courtesy of our guide who gave us a two hour lecture about Abu Dhabi during our bus ride.)
Our first stop in Abu Dhabi was the “UAE Heritage Village”. This is a collection of shops demonstrating crafts such as glass blowing, pottery making, etc. And, of course there was a shop which sold all of the crafts that where made there … Also there was a museum documenting the Arab settlement of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
Our next stop was at the ‘Emirates Palace Hotel’. The hotel was originally intended to be a palace of Sheikh Zayed but he passed away before it was finished and the structure was converted into a hotel. We were not allowed inside.
Next, we visited the ‘Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’. The Grand Mosque is open to visits by the public and even allows flash photography inside but apparel is severely restricted. Women are required to cover their heads, shoulders, arms to the wrist and legs below the ankle. There are two inspections for appropriate attire before women are allowed in and they are continually watched while inside and may be escorted out if a guard decides they are not properly covered. Due to these restrictions, Frances chose to wear an abaya which our guide provided. Another woman in our group did not. She made it passed the first two inspections but was subsequently escorted out because a guard felt that her ankles were not fully covered! Men are also required to wear long pants (Arabs consider shorts to be underwear.)
Once inside, the Grand Mosque is breath taking. Constructed of white marble, it is inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones crafted to resemble flowers and vines and arabic script. The marble floors are covered with a Persian carpet which was flown in from Iran in two pieces on two separate airplanes. The ceiling is hung with huge chandeliers of cut stone and glass and the grounds are doted with pools and fountains. The mosque was built by Sheikh Zayed who died prior to its opening. His tomb is on the grounds. (If you want to see more pictures of the Grand Mosque, please see the Gallery.)
After leaving the Mosque, we were taken to the Al Raha Beach Hotel for a buffet lunch and then we made our journey back to Dubai and the Pacific Princess …
