{"id":34990,"date":"2023-07-24T10:35:24","date_gmt":"2023-07-24T09:35:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pluriel.fuce.eu\/abu-dhabi-congress-cultural-visits\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T19:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T18:40:57","slug":"abu-dhabi-congress-cultural-visits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pluriel.fuce.eu\/en\/abu-dhabi-congress-cultural-visits\/","title":{"rendered":"Abu Dhabi Congress: cultural visits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cultural visits are included in the congress programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Ain<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Also called “The Spring” or the “Garden City” thanks to the oases that refresh it, Al Ain is the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates and the second largest in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Ain is a city with some of the most authentic Islamic architecture, often compared to other large cosmopolitan cities such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The city is particularly known for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • \u2022 Camel market<\/strong>: the Al Ain camel market is the most important in the country and every day (except Monday) attracts many buyers and sellers from different parts of the Emirates. The market can be surprising, as one can see an endless number of camels bargained over and finally transported in small vans.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u2022 Sheikh Zayed Palace<\/strong>: built in 1937 in Al Ain as the residence of President Sheikh Zayed, the palace is today an interesting museum which opens all its outbuildings to visitors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u2022 Al Ain National Museum<\/strong>: with a collection of archaeological and ethnographic items showing local culture and traditions over 7,000 years of history, the Al Ain National Museum is the oldest museum in the Arab Emirates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u2022 Al Ain Oasis<\/strong>: certain privileged points in the desert have underground aquifers that give a little life and greenery to their surroundings. The city has several oases, such as the Al Ain Oasis located in the centre, a green space filled with palm trees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u2022 Al Jahili Fort<\/strong>: this royal summer residence is an important symbol of power and control. Al Jahili Fort is one of the largest in the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u2022 Jebel Hafeet Mountain<\/strong>: located near Oman, Jebel Hafeet is one of the highest mountains in the United Arab Emirates. It can be reached to the summit via a winding road, which will delight those who enjoy driving.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Sheikh Zayed Mosque<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Built to serve as the eternal resting place of President Sheikh Zayed and commonly called the Grand Mosque, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world and undoubtedly one of the most impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Able to accommodate 40,000 worshippers, it is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates, and is dedicated to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Sheikh Zayed Mosque rises majestically above the well-tended gardens surrounding it, with 4 minarets more than 100 metres high and 80 marble domes (90,000 tonnes of white marble on which delicate floral motifs inlaid with semi-precious stones have been created), which rise upon a roof supported by more than 1,000 pillars, 24-carat gold-plated chandeliers, and the largest hand-woven carpet in the world (1,200 craftsmen, over two years, wove more than two billion knots using the finest cottons imported from Iran and New Zealand). The main prayer hall is dominated by one of the most imposing chandeliers in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The design of the mosque is modern and innovative: it presents a blend of Mamluk, Ottoman, Moorish, Indo-Islamic and Fatimid styles. In the main hall, the impressive Swarovski crystal lamps adorned with 24-carat gold (the largest weighs 11 tonnes, including 40 kilos of gold) are particularly remarkable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Louvre Abu Dhabi<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Located on the lagoon island of Saadiyat and designed by Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, inaugurated in 2017, is France’s largest cultural project abroad. It is the fruit of an unprecedented cooperation between France and the United Arab Emirates that gave rise to the first universal museum in the Arab world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Linking Abu Dhabi with the Louvre name, the museum displays works of historical, cultural and sociological interest, both ancient and contemporary, from around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The agreement between Abu Dhabi and the Louvre involves thirteen French public cultural institutions gathered within the Agence France-Mus\u00e9ums. The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s unique museographic approach explores the connections between civilisations or cultures apparently distant in time and space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The museum’s permanent galleries present a rich collection of works of art, together with 300 major works loaned by the museums involved in the project. Each year the Louvre lends 100 masterpieces from its collections. The collection covers all fields of artistic creation from the origins of art to the present day, from prehistory to commissions given to contemporary artists. New acquisitions regularly strengthen the museum’s collection. To date, the collection includes nearly 700 works and sets of works. All periods and civilisations are represented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Abrahamic Family House<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Three monotheistic places of worship and an educational centre<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Located on Saadiyat Island, the complex, designed by Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye OBE, was conceived as a place of learning, dialogue and worship for the faithful of various religions, with a mosque, a church and a synagogue (the three places of worship are of equal stature and share the same external dimensions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is dedicated to the three religions that acknowledge one God alone and share the claim of filiation with Abraham, considered the founder of monotheism.
    Its aim is to foster solidarity and encounter, while preserving the specificity of each of the three faiths. The site hosts daily activities and international conferences aimed at promoting cultural and religious coexistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Abrahamic Family House is the site where Pope Francis signed the Document on Human Fraternity with Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmad al-Tayyib, in the presence of more than 400 religious leaders, with the aim of promoting coexistence among peoples and countering extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n