Beijing, June 4th, 2012 (WAM) -- A delegation of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (SZGMC) in Abu Dhabi, headed by Yousif Al Obaidli, Director of SZGMC, has presented a scale model of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Centre for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies in Beijing, the Capital of China.
Also present was Omar Ahmad Al Bitar, the UAE Ambassador to the Republic of China. The architectural scale model is delicately constructed on a scale of 1:150 and reflects the unique Islamic artistic features of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The first scale model was given to the Malaysian Islamic Art Museum in 2011. The second scale model, in the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies in Beijing, constitutes the continuation of a strategic partnership between SZGMC and museums, cultural and educational institutions and research centres which have the same goals in China. On this occasion, Al Obaidli stated that this move by the SZGMC aims to promote cultural and intellectual cooperation among Islamic centres and establishments in the world, as the Islamic architecture constitutes, in this context, a bridge of communication between peoples. Al Obaidli praised the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies in Beijing and its role in supporting the study of Arabic language in China. He also presented to the Centre, a set of SZGMC published books, including the SZGMCs latest publication, Byoot Allah (the mosques), which analyzes and compares significant mosques throughout history to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is worth mentioning that His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, witnessed the opening ceremony of the new building of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies in Beijing on March 28th, 2012. In 1990, during his historic visit to the Republic of China (PRC), the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, instructed the establishment of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies in Beijing, in order to support the process of learning the Arabic language and Islamic studies in China, and act as a bridge connecting the Chinese and Arab civilizations, working to deepen the concepts of dialogue, understanding and noble human values. The SZGMC, under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, is sponsored and monitored by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and was established to be a centre of cultural and intellectual movement focused around the Mosque.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2012.
