# Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi > The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the UAE's largest mosque: 82 white marble domes and four minarets about 107 m tall. Visitors now pay AED 10 and must book online. It's open daily 9:00–20:30, with a Friday break from 11:30 to 14:30. Allow about 90 minutes, and cover arms, legs and — for women — hair. Web page: https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi/sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque - City: [Abu Dhabi](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi), United Arab Emirates - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Entry: AED 10 for tourists, booked online - Opening hours: Daily 9:00–20:30 (last entry 20:00); Friday 9:00–11:30 and 14:30–20:30; different hours in Ramadan - With kids: Fine with kids - Visitors from abroad: AED 10 - Emirates ID holders: AED 5 - Via a tour operator: AED 8 - Worshippers: Free, no ticket - Free entry: Over-60s, under-3s, people of determination - Saturday–Thursday: 9:00–20:30, last entry 20:00 - Friday: 9:00–11:30 and 14:30–20:30 - Booking: Online access pass on the mosque centre's site, up to a month ahead - Free guided tour: 11:00, 13:00 and 17:00; Fridays 11:00 and 17:00; English and Arabic - Light & Peace Museum, Diya: AED 25 each, AED 40 together - Abaya: No longer lent; sold at Souq Al Jami' for about AED 45 - Entrance: Gate 6 (Al Salam) - Parking: Free - Coordinates: 24.41200, 54.47400 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **82 domes** — in seven sizes; the main one is about 84 m high and 32.6 m across (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia (85 m and 32.2 m)) - **≈ 107 m** — height of the four minarets at the corners of the courtyard (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia (104 m in its infobox)) - **≈ 5,400 m²** — carpet in the main hall — the world's largest hand-knotted carpet, Guinness World Records 2007 (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia (5,627 m²)) - **1996–2007** — work began on 5 November 1996; the mosque opened at Eid al-Adha 2007 (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia) - **≈ 1,200** — artisans knotted the carpet over about two years; it weighs 35 tonnes, made in nine pieces (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia) - **7 chandeliers** — the largest is 12 m wide and 15.5 m tall (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia (10 m and 15 m)) - **1,096 columns** — line the outer arcades, inlaid with semi-precious stones (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia (over 1,000)) - **17,400 m²** — marble courtyard, holding up to 31,000 worshippers (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia (about 17,000 m²)) - **10 pools** — nearly 7,000 m² of water around the mosque (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia) - **2004** — Sheikh Zayed, founder of the UAE, died and was buried beside the mosque (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia) - **Lunar lighting** — projected clouds are darker at new moon and brighter at full moon (source: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre; English Wikipedia) > **Dress code: you will be turned away without it** Women need loose, ankle-length clothes with long sleeves and a headscarf covering all their hair. Men need long trousers and no sleeveless tops. Nothing sheer or tight. Abayas are no longer lent at the entrance — Souq Al Jami' sells them for about AED 45 — so come dressed for it. ## Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque tickets: is it still free? Not any more. Entry used to be free, and many guides still say so, but the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre now charges **AED 10** for visitors from outside the UAE, AED 5 for Emirates ID holders and AED 8 for groups through tour operators. Worshippers coming to pray walk in free. According to The National, Khaleej Times and Gulf News, over-60s, children under three and people of determination don't pay either. You pay when you book the online access pass on the mosque centre's official website; there's no walk-up ticket desk for tourists. The booking form was throwing errors when we checked, so book a day or two ahead. UAE shops and taxis take international cards almost everywhere, but keep some dirhams in cash for buses and small purchases. The Light & Peace Museum and the Diya light show are separate, AED 25 each. ## Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque opening hours Saturday to Thursday, visitors can enter **from 9:00 to 20:30**, with last entry at 20:00. Friday has two windows, 9:00–11:30 and 14:30–20:30; the gap is for Friday prayers. There's no weekly closing day. Ramadan hours are different: in the first 20 days it's 9:00–18:00 plus a night window from 21:30 to 1:00, in the last ten days only 9:00–18:00, and on Fridays from 14:30. Free guided tours start at 11:00, 13:00 and 17:00 (11:00 and 17:00 on Fridays) and last 45–60 minutes. ## Is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque worth visiting? Yes — it's the one sight in [Abu Dhabi](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi) worth a day trip from Dubai on its own. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's founder, wanted a mosque that showed a welcoming, moderate Islam; it was built between 1996 and 2007, and he is buried beside it. The design borrows from Moroccan, Mughal and other Islamic styles, wrapped in white marble with floral inlay of semi-precious stones. It's a working mosque, not a museum: visitors follow a set route through the courtyard, the arcades and the main prayer hall. If you only have an hour between Dubai and the airport, it still fits — just don't come in beachwear. ## What to see inside - **The courtyard** — 17,400 m² of marble with a huge floral mosaic; the classic shot of the domes. - **The arcades** — 1,096 palm-shaped columns with gilded capitals and stone inlay. - **The reflecting pools** along the arcades, best after dark when the arches mirror in the water. - **The main prayer hall** — one wall-to-wall hand-knotted carpet and a 12 m-wide central chandelier. - **The qibla wall** — the 99 names of God in Kufic script, with a golden verse above the mihrab. - **The lunar lighting** after sunset — bluish clouds on the walls that follow the phase of the moon. - Photos are fine for personal use at marked photo points; professional shoots need a permit. ## Can non-Muslims visit, and what are the rules? Yes — visitors of any faith are welcome with a booked pass and the right clothes. Security checks how you're dressed before you go in, and there's no arguing it. Inside, keep your voice down and your phone on silent, don't lie down or nap on the carpets, and don't smoke anywhere on the grounds. No food or drinks in the mosque — the marble and carpets are protected. Public displays of affection are not allowed. Children are welcome but must stay with their parents at all times. Shoes come off before the prayer halls, so wear something easy to slip on. ## How to get to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque 1. The mosque sits at the entrance to Abu Dhabi island, between the Maqta, Mussafah and Sheikh Zayed bridges. The city has no metro. 2. From Qasr Al Hosn downtown, a taxi (Uber, Careem or a regular city cab) takes about 15–20 minutes. 3. Ask for Gate 6 (Al Salam), the visitor entrance; there's a taxi rank at the mosque during opening hours. 4. By bus you need a Hafilat card — drivers don't take cash. Check the route to the mosque stop in the Darb app (unofficial: route 94 is one of them). 5. From Zayed International Airport (AUH) it's about 20 minutes by taxi; from Dubai, about 1.5 hours by car or on a day tour. 6. Show your QR code at the gate, then go through security and the dress check. ## Best time to visit: morning, sunset or after dark | | Morning | Sunset | After dark | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Light | Bright, brilliant white marble | Warm, soft shadows | Moon-phase lighting | | Free guided tour | 11:00 and 13:00 | 17:00 | None | | Heat, May–September | Bearable before noon | Easing off | Most comfortable | | Friday | Until 11:30 | Yes | Until 20:30 | | Best for | Tour-goers who like it quieter | Photographers | Day-trippers from Dubai | Our pick: arrive about an hour before sunset, join the 17:00 tour, then stay for the lights before last entry at 20:00. ## Before you go - [ ] Access pass booked, QR code on my phone - [ ] Ankle-length clothes, long sleeves, headscarf for women - [ ] Not Friday between 11:30 and 14:30 - [ ] Arriving before last entry at 20:00 - [ ] Card or dirhams for the taxi - [ ] About 90 minutes plus travel time ## Mosques and places of worship compared Every mosque and place of worship rated by YesGo. - [Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi/sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · AED 10 for tourists, booked online ## Abu Dhabi in a day: fort to mosque at sunset The old fort downtown, the presidential palace, the palace hotel on the sea and the mosque in late afternoon as the lights come on. 1. [Qasr Al Hosn](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi/qasr-al-hosn) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ AED 30, under-18s free 2. [Qasr Al Watan](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi/qasr-al-watan) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · AED 65, ages 4–17 AED 30 3. [Emirates Palace](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi/emirates-palace) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free entry; gold cappuccino AED 90 4. [Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi/sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · AED 10 for tourists, booked online > **The mosque's own guided tour is free** The AED 10 fee covers entry; tours by the centre's guides in English and Arabic cost nothing extra. Be at the start point on the east side 15 minutes early. ## Don't confuse Fujairah and Al Ain also have mosques named after Sheikh Zayed, and Sheikh Zayed Road and the Sheikh Zayed Bridge are different places altogether. This page is about the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. ## Tips - Time it for the 17:00 tour and stay for the lights — one visit, two very different mosques. - Book the pass in advance; the booking site was glitchy when we checked. - Dress at your hotel — abayas are sold, not lent, at the mosque. - In summer avoid midday: the courtyard marble gets very hot and shoes come off before the halls. - Pair it with [Qasr Al Watan](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi/qasr-al-watan) or dinner on the [Corniche](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi/abu-dhabi-corniche) — both are on the way back downtown. ## Questions ### Is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque free to visit? Not for tourists any more. Visitors from abroad pay AED 10, Emirates ID holders AED 5 and tour-operator guests AED 8. Worshippers enter free. You pay when booking online. ### Do I need to book in advance? Yes. Visitors need an online access pass from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre's website; you show its QR code at the gate. Worshippers don't need one. ### What are the opening hours? Saturday to Thursday 9:00–20:30, last entry 20:00. Friday 9:00–11:30 and 14:30–20:30. Hours change during Ramadan. ### What is the dress code? Loose, ankle-length clothes with long sleeves for everyone; women also cover their hair. Nothing sheer or tight. Abayas are no longer lent — bring your own or buy one on site. ### Can non-Muslims go inside? Yes. Visitors of any faith can see the courtyard, arcades and main prayer hall along the visitor route, with a booked pass and modest clothes. ### How long do you need at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque? About 90 minutes: 45–60 minutes for the free tour and half an hour for the courtyard, pools and photos. Add an hour if you wait for the evening lights. ### What is the best time to visit? About an hour before sunset: catch the 17:00 tour, see the mosque in daylight and stay for the lunar lighting. Avoid Friday 11:30–14:30. ### How do I get there from Dubai? By car or taxi it's about 1.5 hours; many day tours combine it with other Abu Dhabi sights. Inside Abu Dhabi, a taxi from downtown takes 15–20 minutes. ### Can I take photos inside? Yes, for personal use and at the marked photo points. Professional and media filming need a permit from the mosque centre. ### Is it good with kids? Yes — children under three get in free. Parents must keep children with them; running and noise in the halls aren't allowed. ## How we checked Fees, hours, tours, dress rules and the Gate 6 entrance come from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre's official site. Exemptions (over-60s, under-3s, people of determination), museum and Diya prices and the end of abaya lending appear only in news reports — The National, Khaleej Times, Gulf News — and are marked “checking”. Sizes and dates are checked against Wikipedia; where figures differ (carpet, chandeliers, minarets) we show the centre's number with Wikipedia's in brackets. The bus route is unofficial. The booking form returned errors when we checked. ## Sources - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (official site): visiting hours, FAQs on fees, mosque manners, cultural tours, architecture — 03.11.2026 - The National, 17.09.2026 — visitor fee and abayas - Khaleej Times, 17.09.2026 — fee and exemptions - Gulf News, 17.09.2026 — fee and booking - English and Russian Wikipedia: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; Wikidata Q695604 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.