This beautiful Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhab is one of the top tourist destination in UAE. Find opening timing, history, facts, dress code details. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) is known as one of the biggest mosques in the world. This grand mosque has a huge capacity. In this mosque, 40,000 worshipers can visit at once. It is known as one of the most renowned Islamic architecture in United Arab Emirates. Apart from being a place of worship, this mosque is also a great place of discovery that can be obtained through different types of programs for the visitors and also by education. The mosque is open for each and every one. The tourists can enter and enjoy the beauty of mosque or they can also take a guided tour if they want to. Guides are available at the mosque all the time.
Location:
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) is situated in Abu Dhabi which is known as the capital of United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Things to see & Facts
This astonishing mosque contains 82 domes and more than one thousand columns. It also contains chandeliers that are made of 24 carat gold. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) also contains the world’s largest carpet that is knotted by hand.
Opening and closing time:
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) is open for all. Normally this great mosque is opened at 9 am and closed at 10 pm. This is the general schedule for all the day in a week but Friday. In the case of Friday, the mosque is open from 4.30 pm to 10 pm. In Friday morning, the mosque is opened only for worshiping; no tourists are welcome on Friday morning. The daily visiting hours and daily walk – in tour timings are given below with the help of the following tables:
Table 1: general visiting hours
| Days | Visiting hours |
| Saturday to Thursday | 9.00 am – 10.00 pm |
| Friday | 4.30 pm – 10.00 pm |
Table 2: Walk – in tour timings
| Days | tour timings |
| Sunday – Thursday | 10.00 am – 11.00 am – 5.00 pm |
| Friday | 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm |
| Saturday | 10.00 am – 11.00 am, 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm |
The visiting hours are different for the Ramadan month. In this time, the mosque is open from 9.00 am to 2.00 pm. Last entry can be taken at 1.30 pm. This timing is applicable for all the days in a week except Friday. On Friday the mosque remains closed. The duration for the tourist during this month is also shorter. The duration for the tourists ranges between 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Walk – in tour timings for the Ramadan month:
Table 3: Walk – in tour timings for the Ramadan month
| Days | Visiting hours in Ramadan month |
| Saturday to Sunday | 10.00 am to 11.0 am |
| Friday | Closed |
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) is opened at 9.00 am and closed at 10.00 pm for the first days of Eid Al – Adha ( Feast of Sacrifice ) and Eid Al – Fitr ( Feast of Breakfast ).
How to get ticket:
All the tourists are welcome to The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC). There is no ticket fee for entering inside the mosque. In some cases, for some special events or exhibitions, a fee may be required. The tourists must be dressed properly. If the dress of the tourists is not proper they will not be allowed to enter inside the mosque. No transparent or short clothes are allowed. Tight clothes, beachwear, swimsuits are also not allowed. The tourists must maintain the rules and regulations of mosque and respect the place. Intimate behaviour is also not allowed inside the mosque area.