Trip in United Arab Emirates

There, where the desert meets the sea is born the city of abundance, the city that CNN classified as the richest city in the world in 2007, named Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The name of the city means abundance “abu”, “dhabi” gazelle. According to legend, it was here during low tide that many gazelles came and from there the name “Abu Dhabi” arose. According to another legend, the name meant “father of the gazelle” (abu – can also be translated as father), and years ago a hunter chased the gazelle, which managed to escape to land, but he remained on the island after the low tide, subsequently dying of thirst. Today, the city is located in the form of a T in the Persian Gulf, and is one of the greenest cities, with over 900,000 people living here.

We left Dubai at 08:30 heading to Abu Dhabi, and before 08:00 the sun had risen high and was shining in full force.

The sandy landscapes on our way made us sleepy, but the glowing skyscrapers in the city quickly woke us up. Like the Dubai ones, these competed with each other in uniqueness and beauty, and as if the earth could not fit all the wealth of the country, so the same rises high in the heavens. Here, like Dubai, there is a large hotel claiming 7-stars, the same is relatively low rise, but with huge domes, and is called The Emirates Palace. It is believed that this is the most expensive hotel in the world, much is made of real gold, the chandeliers are from Swarovski, and its dome is larger than the one in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The 13 restaurants are served by 130 kitchens and over 300 employees in the kitchens. There are 140 elevators, so there is no waiting, and the private beach spreads 0.8 mi away. We were allowed to photograph it on the other side of the bay, but the bright sunlight did not help much, as the sun was also on the side of the hotel (with this luxury, people could probably order sunlight whenever they want and that’s why the sun stood there).

Our tour of Abu Dhabi began at 10:20 a.m. when we arrived in front of the majestic white mosque with gilded peaks, located at the very entrance of the city. It is the largest Muslim temple in the United Arab Emirates and the 8th in the world. The Grand Mosque is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, its founder and first UAE president who was buried there. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque was officially opened during the Islamic holiday of Ramadan in 2007.  Its design resembles the mosque in Casablanca. Since the mosque is located in the UAE, it is quite normal for the mosque to hold several world records. Here, for example, is the largest carpet in the world 5627 square meters, woven by about 1200 weavers and weighing 47 tons! Here is the former largest chandelier in the world, with a total number of 7 in the mosque, all imported from Germany and made of gilded copper and decorated with millions of Swarovski crystals. The height of the chandeliers is 10 meters in diameter and 15 meters in height, but despite the gigantic size, the current record holder is located in Doha (the capital of Qatar).

In order to enter the mosque, we had to put on their traditional clothes (or at least women), and we had to have covered sleeves, legs and heads. The entrance for women was on the side of the mosque – the main entrance is for men only. Inside there were several clocks that indicated what time the prayers should be every day. The hours changed daily, as they were determined by the lunar calendar. The mosque itself also changed depending on the lunar calendar, and every night it shone in different spotlights, on a new moon in one color, on a full moon in others. etc.

The Great White Mosque impressed me, it was very beautiful, there were artificial ponds in front where the facade looked proudly, but my photos with the black abaya were not at all successful and I couldn’t wait to go outside and take off these black clothes.

We got back on the bus and our excursion continued in the Ethnographic Village, resembling the Bulgarian Etar. Only it was located on the coastline and there was a possibility for a beach. Along the coast there were Arabian boats from different periods, on the shore the houses were made of straw that people used in the deserts, there was a one-humpbacked cow, and many pavilions in which people made and displayed weapons, carpets, etc.

Then our bus took us to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where we had a rich lunch buffet. On the way back, we passed by the rotating restaurant, and heading to the Ferrari world amusement park, where we had 30 minutes photo break. Like any landmark in the United Arab Emirates, this one held several world records: This is the largest indoor amusement park in the world, occupying 200,000 square meters of area, this is Ferrari’s first theme park, and here is the fastest roller coaster in the world. There are excellent simulators of racing cars, 20 roller coasters in the form of Ferrari, and many other attractions.

Abu Dhabi seems to be competing with Dubai in the rankings for more, more and most. Both places are full of wonders and treasures from 1001 nights, proudly displaying their wealth and abundance. The United Arab Emirates occupies a relatively small area (83,600 square kilometers), but holds numerous world records, including the largest fireworks show, the largest cash safe, the most expensive car number plate and undoubtedly the best place to live in the Arab world.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ABU DHABI:

Location: Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is located on the northeastern coast of the Persian Gulf. It consists of an island that is 250 meters from the mainland and is connected to it by a bridge.
Area: 972 sq.km