Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Mosque

Set within the dignified Al Bateen neighbourhood of the Emirati capital, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Mosque reflects the long tradition of pious endowments by members of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi. The Al Nahyan dynasty has led the emirate since the late eighteenth century, when Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa first established the ruling house at Liwa, and across two centuries successive rulers have followed one another in building mosques, madrasas, wells, schools, and hospitals for the welfare of their people. Abu Dhabi itself rose from a small fishing and pearling settlement in the eighteenth century into one of the most prosperous capital cities of the contemporary Arab world.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, taught that the best of people are those most beneficial to their fellow human beings, and the Al Nahyan family has taken this teaching as a foundation for their generous endowment practice. Almost every district of Abu Dhabi now holds a mosque bearing the name of one of the sheikhs of the ruling household, and each of those mosques operates as an open invitation to every resident and every visitor, regardless of background, to pray freely in a dignified setting. This particular masjid, named after Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, stands in that proud tradition of princely endowment.
Architecturally the mosque carries the clean modern Gulf Arab style that has become a signature of Abu Dhabi. A pair of slender minarets rises on either side of the main prayer hall, a central dome clad in pale limestone and white marble crowns the qiblah section, and arcaded galleries provide shade around the courtyard. Inside, huge Turkish carpets warm the floor, crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and the mihrab is framed by calligraphy in gold leaf. A spacious women's section above the main hall offers its own ablution area. Ramadan brings distinguished reciters, long tarawih, and collective iftars of harees, lugaimat, and Arabic coffee. Accurate daily prayer times for Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha are published on this page for every worshipper of Abu Dhabi.