PHOTOS: PM Barzani tours Abu Dhabi’s landmark Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Barzani landed in the Emirati capital city on Tuesday. He met with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to discuss the bilateral relations between the two nations.
"There are so many opportunities to unlock in our partnership [Kurdistan Region and the UAE]," Barzani said after concluding his meeting with Al Nahyan.
As part of his visit, Barzani took the opportunity to visit one of the country's most famous sites, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, construction of which began in the mid-1990s by the UAE's Founding Father Sheikh Zayed al-Nahyan.
Al-Nahyan did not live to see the completion of the 1.2 million-square-meter holy site in 2007. He died in 2004 and is buried in a courtyard tomb within the mosque.
"I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to tour around its halls and segments of this architectural masterpiece," Barzani said after his visit, where he was accompanied by Dr. Yousif Al Obaidli, Director-General of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre.
One of the Center's cultural tour specialists briefed Barzani on the mosque's history and its esthetic features of Islamic art, the Emirates News Agency, known as WAM, reported.
The top Kurdish official was later presented with two publications by the cultural centre, titled 'Spaces of Light' and 'Houses of God'.
Thousands of Muslim and non-Muslim people annually visit the mosque, particularly during the fasting month of Ramadan, which attracted a million visitors in 2019, according to the UAE's National newspaper.
Famous politicians and celebrities had previously visited the site, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, model Gigi Hadid, singer Dua Lipa, and actor Hugh Jackman.
