If there is only one place you can visit in Abu Dhabi, I would suggest to go and see the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This is the largest mosque in the country! The architecture is one of a kind and breathtaking!
To visit the mosque, there is a dress code. Long, loose fitting, ankle length trousers or skirts for women and men. The hubby wore closed shoes, jeans (cover knees) and a button down shirt that covered his arms (half sleeves are fine for men). Women must wear a headscarf as well. I actually didn’t have anything that fully covered my arms or ankles. Therefore, the hubby did some research and found out that the mosque will give the ladies an abaya to wear when visiting the mosque. Abaya is pretty much an outerwear that has an attached hoodie that will help you cover your head. Babies and kids can wear anything unless they are teenagers. If you have a teenager, then, she would have to wear an abaya too. Our baby girl wore a romper. For more information on the dress code, check out the “Mosque Manners” page on SZGMC website
Admission to the Mosque is free. Once you reach the Mosque, you will be guided to a visitors center (underneath the parking lot) where you will need to get an entry ticket for each member of the group including the kids. Once you get your tickets scanned, a staff member will tell the ladies to go to a room if you are not fully covered from head to ankles. I was directed to that room where another staff member gave me an abaya. Once I put that on, I was able to meet up the hubby and baby girl. There’s a tunnel that connects the visitors center to the Mosque which helps you avoid the walk in the heat. Strollers are allowed so you can keep you littles ones on the stroller.
Once we were on the premise of the mosque, you must make sure your head is covered (this is for all ladies). The security is very strict about this and will stop you to make sure your head is covered at all times.
You can do group tours or you can wander away on your own at your own pace. Of course that is the route we went since we did have our baby girl with us! The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is definitely one of a kind!
Once you have seen the mosque and getting ready to exit, there is a sign that will tell you to return the abaya. You will need to go to that room and return your abaya. From there, as you walk around you will see some restaurants where you can sit and grab something to eat or drink.
If you are someone who is planning to go there soon, hope this post is super helpful!!!
-XOXO-
