Zayed Grand Mosque among world’s top 25 tourist attractions

The Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi city has been ranked among the world’s top 25 landmark attractions by the world’s largest travel community. The ranking, which sees the Abu Dhabi landmark lined up alongside the Taj Mahal in India, Petra in Jordan and Machu Picchu in Peru, comes in TripAdvisor’s 2013 Travellers Choice Awards. “This is particularly pleasing as the rankings are solely based on reviews and recommendations by the vast TripAdvisor travelling community, thus confirming its place as one of the most important cultural tourism destinations,” said Yousif Al Obaidli, Director-General of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre. TripAdvisor recently named the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque as “one of the world’s most talked about attractions”. With the release of the 2013 Travellers Choice awards, TripAdvisor describes the mosque as an Abu Dhabi “must see”. “The Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre offers services for worshippers, domestic and international visitors alike, all year round. In 2012, 4.7 million visitors were welcomed to the mosque from all over the world,” said Al Obaidli. This year, during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the mosque’s opening times have been extended. Opening times will be 9am to 2pm and guided tours are offered complimentary at 10am and 11am, except on Fridays. “Our tours are led by one of our official Tourist Guides and the interactive tours provide information about the mosque, its architecture and there is plenty of opportunity for visitors to ask questions. Ramadan is a special time of the year and we encourage our visitors to take a guided tour and experience the Islamic culture of the mosque,” added Al Obaidli.   Khaleej Times