Really enjoyed my couple of days in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, which lies on a T shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf. No elections here, Sheikh Khalifa, President, rules as part of a hereditary monarchy system. His Dad, the previous Sheikh Zayed, is being honoured in 2018, ‘the year of Zayed’, to mark 100 years since the birth of the country’s founding father. Residents enjoy free education and health and a relatively high average income.  Here are a few pics of places I enjoyed visiting:

Designed by Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi architect and Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, the striking 842m long, 64 m high Sheikh Zayed Bridge is said to be the most complex bridge ever built. Its curved arches evoke undulating sand dunes of the desert.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates. During Eid (muslim religious festival), it’s visited by around 41,000 people. Designed by Syrian architect, Yousef Abdelky, the building covers over 30 acres. The mosque was a project of a previous UAE President who wanted to establish a structure that would unite the cultural diversity of the Islamic world with modern values of architecture and art. The inner courtyard with minarets and columned hallways looked really beautiful. Simple vertical flower/stalk curling design on the columns with colours of green, yellow and burgundy, with gold palm tree-like decorations 3m up each column.  Spears and Major Associates designed the lighting system to reflect the phases of the moon. Bluish grey clouds are projected onto the external walls and get brighter and darker according to the phase of the moon.

Corniche Rd roundabout view of Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Bag Al Qasr hotel. Etihad Towers is a complex of buildings with 5 towers that sparkle iridescently in the sunshine and a reflection of everything that Abu Dhabi wants to be -modern, sophisticated and luxurious. Had lunch at Observation Deck 300, 74 floors up – magic sunny day with clear views of the Fairmont Hotel being built; Emirates Palace Hotel and Presidential Palace of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (son of Zayed).

 

 

 

Capital Gate – a modern day challenger to the “Leaning Tower of Pisa” – it leans 18 degrees westwards, more than 4 times that of Pisa’s famous tower.