ABU DHABI, 19 July 2011 (WAM) - The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque received last week around 800 students from the summer camps and activities in Abu Dhabi. The visits aim at knowing more about the Mosques aesthetics of Islamic architecture.
The visitors, which are comprised of students from primary and secondary schools in Abu Dhabi, included 95 male and female students from the "Tourism Generations" programme of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. There was a group of students with special needs (deaf and mute) among the visitors. The students listened to a detailed explanation given by cultural guides in the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre about the iconic Mosque while touring it. The mosque was founded in 1996 with a role of disseminating beautiful values and meanings, which express tolerance and love of others. The students got to know about the Mosques designs and the Islamic ornamentations that are painted and carved on its walls, shedding light on the historical eras they represent. They were also briefed on the life and legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as well as his generous and human personality and great achievements for the United Arab Emirates. A number of students expressed their joy at visiting this landmark, which is one of the most important religious edifices in the World. They stressed that the mosque reflected the UAE culture, which always calls for bolstering dialogue and cooperation between various civilisations and religions. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, is sponsored and supported by H H Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. It was established to be the centre of a cultural and intellectual movement that expresses the cultural values and concepts enshrined by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Such values can be seen to be rooted in UAE national identity and inspired by the teachings of Islam.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.
