Photographing Sheikh Zayed Mosque is truly a pleasure for the eyes. The lavish, bright white Sheikh Zayed Mosque is a perfect place for photography if you visit the United Arab Emirates.
Located in Abu Dhabi, but easily reachable from Dubai with a drive of about one and a half hours, this modern mosque is one of the largest in the world.
It took twelve years to build, at a cost of nearly USD 500 million. Once it opened in 2007, the mosque, besides attracting Muslim worshippers, also became an iconic attraction for many tourists and photographers. This is also because Sheikh Zayed Mosque is one of the very few mosques in the United Arab Emirates that are open to non-Muslim visitors.
WHAT TO SHOOT
The breathtaking white mosque is an exceptional example of modern Islamic architecture, rising elegantly into the sky with its four 107-metre-high minarets and a roofline topped with more than eighty white marble domes. Its architectural references are an impressive mix of traditional Mamluk, Ottoman, and Fatimid styles, translated into a contemporary and innovative language. Modern floral designs inlaid with semi-precious stones such as red agate and amethyst adorn a wide variety of marbles and contrast beautifully with the more traditional geometric ceramic details.
The entrance to the mosque, through a vast courtyard, offers many shooting opportunities of the entire structure. Hundreds of pillars and arcades, richly carved and decorated with floral designs and inlaid with semi-precious stones, can be used to frame ideal backdrops. The pools provide stunning reflections of the exterior arcades.
Inside the building, you will find plenty of interesting low-angle shooting opportunities dominated by domes, arcades, and three steel, gold, brass, and crystal chandeliers that fill the interior with shafts of primary-coloured light. For more photographic inspiration, take a closer look at the richly adorned glass doors and carefully observe the floral-patterned interiors for interesting details and close-ups. Also look for low-angle shots of the world’s largest hand-loomed carpet housed in the main prayer hall.
Tripods are allowed outside the mosque and in the main courtyard, but not inside the mosque itself. In any case, always be discreet when using a tripod and when taking photos. Remember that you are inside a place of worship and must respect local worshippers. If you want to photograph a worshipper, always ask politely for permission first.
WHEN TO SHOOT
The strong exterior daylight combined with the bright white marble of Sheikh Zayed Mosque allows you to shoot at very low ISO values while exploring the courtyard and exterior areas. Indoors, you will need to raise the ISO, but you should still be able to shoot below ISO 800 on a clear day.
The best light for photographing the exterior and the courtyard is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the tones and colours are softer. Keep in mind that late afternoon is usually very crowded, with many tourists and worshippers moving through the scene. If you want to take more intimate photographs that convey the beauty of this sacred place, it is best to arrive very early in the morning.
Night is also a fantastic time to photograph the courtyard and exteriors, as the softly blue-lit surroundings contrast sharply with the white arcades and columns reflected in the pools. You can capture truly stunning images at night. Although it can be extremely hot, daytime shooting can also produce great results thanks to the strong contrast between the blue sky and the white marble of the building. Using a circular polariser will help enhance this contrast.
HOW TO GET THERE
The quickest and easiest way to reach Sheikh Zayed Mosque from downtown Abu Dhabi is by taxi (around AED 50 or €12). The journey takes approximately 10–15 minutes in normal traffic conditions. Alternatively, you can take a bus, which will drop you about a five-minute walk from the mosque.