05 Jan 2023

The modern Arab world has transformed its cities into showcases of its innovative architectural design, “world’s tallest,” “world’s biggest”… the skyline claims the ambitions of the city rising from the desert.

We took a day trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, spent the entire day visiting only two places that fascinated me most: the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

There are two Louvre museums in the world, and the one in Abu Dhabi was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and completed in 2017. Unlike the one in Paris, the Louvre Abu Dhabi adopts traditional Arab elements yet presents a futuristic aesthetic. From afar, it seems to float above the Persian Gulf like a UFO. Its vast dome, composed of eight interlaced layers of lightweight aluminum, enables natural sunlight to penetrate through geometric perforations, creating a so called ——— “rain of light”.

Under the dome, each gallery is a cluster of low-rise white buildings that symbolize local settlements. Water plays an integral role in the design—not only dividing spaces but also offering stepped seating for rest. In contrast to the static gallery buildings, water and light are always in motion, bringing life and rhythm to the space.

Reading the description, I learned that these eyes gazing at you have journeyed across more than 8,000 years of time and space. This is one of the earliest human statues ever discovered, unearthed at Ain Ghazal in Jordan and dating back to around 6500 BC

This bronze dragon from China’s Warring States period has an unusually form, more like a Western dragon. I haven’t seen any dragon like this in Chinese museum before.

The most awe-inspiring gallery was the one where three religions were displayed side by side—Catholicism, Islam, and Buddhism.

This curation created a profound sense of unity, a shared human experience across diverse spiritual traditions. These three faiths have shaped the course of human civilization in different regions, and at this moment, their coexistence in one space feels deeply symbolic. Civilizations can coexist, faiths can thrive together, and above it all stretches the exapnse dome, where light falls upon the world like rain.

After spending nearly five hours at the Louvre, I still hadn’t managed to see all the galleries and had to head to my next destination—the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This mosque is the largest in the UAE and the third largest in the world. We arrived at twilight, and the white marble mosque looked majestic and pristine. It is free to visit, but as a woman, I had to cover my hair to enter.

It is a beautiful architecture and full of luxury, featuring the world’s largest hand-knotted Persian carpet, woven by over a thousand artisans. Above; overhead, immense crystal chandeliers sparkle with millions of Swarovski crystals.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is famous for its floral motifs, and among them, the rose is one of the most prominent symbols. The vast courtyard (sahan) has one of the largest marble mosaic artworks in the world, the roses spread across the surface. No one is allowed to walk across the courtyard; visitors must stay along the colonnades. Accompanied by the melodic recitation of the Qur’an over the speakers, the central courtyard felt profoundly sacred.

Just like a scene from One Thousand and One Nights—how I wish there had been a crescent moon above that night.

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