Monday, March 16, 2015

Arabian Dreams [Part 1/3]: Visiting Abu Dhabi

We are at the start of a brand new travel series, that will take us all to the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi and Dubai to be precise. As you will quickly notice, this is not a journey I undertook, but a travel Jasmina and Amer made recently. I edited the images for them, and I liked them so much, that I decided to feature their travel here. Both of them aren't strangers to this blog, and you have seen them many times in my own images, so I hope you will enjoy these as well.


In the first part we will see glimpses from Abu Dhabi, which is the federal capital and center of government in the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and one of the most modern cities in the world.

This is a multi-part travel series. Other parts include:

Photos taken by: Jasmina Donko and Amer Cemalovic
Photos edited by: Mersad Donko

click on the images for a bigger view

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

The trip begins with the 6th largest mosque in the world, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque (which is also the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates). These shots that follow were taken during sunset and dusk, a perfect time for travel photography. The surroundings are wide and mostly open to visitors who can roam freely. There are no entry fees for the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is a nice thing considering you have to pay entrance to most of the tourist attractions.

The pools along the arcades reflect the mosque's spectacular columns, which becomes even more glorious at night.


The dome layout and floorplan of the mosque was inspired by the Badshahi Mosque and the architecture was inspired by Persian, Mughal and Moorish design.


Inside the Mosque

The mosque has many special and unique elements. For example, the carpet in the main prayer hall is considered to be the world's largest carpet made by Iran's Carpet Company. The weight of this carpet is 35 ton and is predominantly made from wool (originating from New Zealand and Iran).

This mosque has seven imported chandeliers from the company Faustig in Munich Germany that incorporate millions of Swarovski crystals.



As the night rolls in...

The place transforms with dusk and into the night. The unique lighting system was designed by lightning architects to reflect the phases of the moon. Beautiful bluish gray clouds are projected in lights onto the external walls and get brighter and darker according to the phase of the moon.




The design and construction reportedly 'unites the world', using artisans and materials from many countries including Italy, Germany, Morocco, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Iran, China, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Greece and of course the United Arab Emirates.




In the City

The origin of the name "Abu Dhabi" is uncertain. Meaning "Father of the Gazelle", when literally translated from Arabic, it probably referred to the few gazelles that inhabit the emirate.  Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast.


The Etihad Towers complex can be seen in the background in the upper shot, as well as prominently featured in the next one.


Up next, is the Emirates Palace which is a seven star luxury hotel Built as a landmark showcasing Arabian culture has created a niche in luxury hospitality. Situated on a private beach and surrounded by 85 hectares of gardens and lawns, with 114 domes that are 80 meters high, Emirates Palace comprises 394 rooms and suites.




End of Part One
To be continued...

44 comments:

  1. Very impressive, Mersad, and awesome, particularly the shots of the Etihad Towers

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  2. Bio sam prošlo ljeto i oduševljen sam, iako ne bih preporučio da se tamo ide za vrijeme ljetnih mjeseci, jer je klima nepodnošljiva. Svaka čast za obradu fotografija, fenomenalno odrađen posao.

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    Replies
    1. Da ovaj period sada je najbolji. Dnevne temperature su bile oko 22 stepeni.

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  3. amazing place and amazing photos. the one thing i notice is how white and bright everything is... thanks for the arch chair tour.

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  4. I am in total awe, not only of the photography, but I'm in awe of this beautiful and magical place!!

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    1. I was as well once I saw the images and heard the wonderful stories from their trip.

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  5. an amazing place, for sure!

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  6. These truly took my breath away, Mersad!! What an incredible, beautiful place!! Thanks for sharing! A great way to start my week!!!

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  7. Such opulent surroundings they almost seem surreal. So beautiful....

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    Replies
    1. I agree. There is lots of wealth in these parts of the world, and it's showing everywhere you look.

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  8. Stunning architecture! Looks even more amazing at night. :)

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  9. I am awed by the architecture and beauty of the mosque, and then awed again by the subsequent shots of the stunning buildings! Thank you for sharing!

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  10. I am obsessed with the Middle East and have been for about 7 years. I want to see all of it so badly! These pictures are to die for.. I would love to go to UAE one day. It is stunning. Thank you for the awesome pictures.

    --Sam

    http://www.BesosFromAmerica.com

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  11. wooow, great pictures! I love especially those of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque! Jasmina and Amer are gifted, they are excelent photographers too!

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  12. Ohh, wie von Tausend und einer Nacht :-) Wirklich künstlerisch schöne Bilder, wie aus einem Bilderbuch. Mersad, ich bin voll begeistert, ich muß sie noch öfter durchschauen.
    Dein 9. und 10. Bild von hinter gerechnet könnte ich mir im Acrylglas an der Wand vorstellen. Hut ab!!!
    Mein Atem bleibt wirklich zurück und ich denke, ich muß doch mal in die Richtung reisen!!!!
    Liebe Grüße

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  13. Your friends take amazing photos! What beautiful buildings.

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  14. Stunning photography. The details and unique designs are amazing.

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  15. So very beautiful. The mosque is just stunning.

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  16. Everything looks so pristine....terrific shots♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/jagged-ice/

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  17. A truly amazing location! As I was viewing the photos, I was thinking how much fun it would be to visit and take pictures. Really a photographer's dream!

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  18. Oh wow. These are amazing. I have a friend who travels there for work, I would love to see it too!

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  19. The architecture is truly amazing, so unlike anything Ive ever seen personally.

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  20. Amazing images of the architecture. What a treat to see. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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  21. So clean and picturesque.

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  22. Breath taking pictures. So beautiful.

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  23. What an amazing place! Excellent photo work!

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  24. Wow - what amazing shots of this beautiful place!

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  25. What an amazing place, you images are stunning and make me very envious that I can not travel more

    mollyxxx

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  26. Great group of photos! Especially like the night time shots.

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  27. Oh my gosh! Such stunning architecture!
    I am looking at how clean and refreshing all these places look - gorgeous!

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  28. Ditto to the above, and yes, the architecture is stunning!

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  29. What a majestic place it is. Love the photos and the architecture. Really worth blogging about.

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  30. Amazing. The architecture itself is stunning and breathtaking.

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  31. Oh wow, the beauty of that mosque is almost overwhelming. I would really love to see if for myself one day. The skyline also shows some stunning architecture. Beautiful post.

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  32. Wow! This is so exotic! I can't even imagine seeing this in person. Thank you for sharing at Song-ography.

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  33. Amazing architecture… old and new, wow!

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  34. Wow! I have not seen any photos before and I am in awe of the architecture. It is amazing in detail and looks so pristine. Thank you for showing me this piece of the world....Michelle

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  35. Breathtakingly beautiful series...especially the "as night rolls in group" Thanks for sharing on Mandarin Orange Monday:)

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  36. It's a most wonderful place for visiting, and also an excellent visual output by professional photographers in abu dhabi.

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  37. Amazing architecture,how gorgeous is the mosque and moreso as evening approaches.
    and if you guys want to see true beauty then you may go to Saudi Arab, or book your tickets from Hajj and Umrah to see the real beauty of mosque

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  38. Outstanding website you have here, so much cool facts!.
    Get Best Umrah Packages

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