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Islamic Architecture

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Badshahi Mosque - Lahore, Pakistan

Badshahi Mosque – Lahore, Pakistan

Pakistan

The next stop on our historic sightseeing in Lahore was Badshahi Mosque. This was my second time visiting the mosque and I was as mesmerized by it this time around as I was the first time I saw it. It’s located near Lahore Fort and is probably one of Lahore’s most iconic landmarks.The mosque is a Mughal-era architecture which was commissioned by Emperor Aurengzeb in 1671 and was completed within two years. Its exterior is made of carved red sandstone with marble inlay. The interior also has carved marble and elaborate plasterwork. At the time of completion, it was the largest mosque in the world and now is the second largest mosque in Pakistan itself. You have to climb about 20 or so steps to get to the entrance. From the entrance you have a view of the gate of Lahore Fort (my next stop).After taking in the view of the massive gate,…

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DC Architecture Islamic Center

Washington D.C. Architecture – Islamic Center

Architecture

Happy new year everyone! I hope you had a lovely New Year’s Eve and I pray that this coming year be full of blessings for all. My first post this year will be the continuation of my recent D.C. trips which really opened up my eyes to new architecture in the area. On the same day we saw the Washington National Cathedral, we also came to The Islamic Center. It is located on Embassy Row on Massachusetts Ave. The original reason for its existence was that in 1944 the Turkish ambassador had died and there was no mosque for his funeral. After support from the diplomatic community and the Muslim community across the nation, it was completed in 1957. This structure was designed by an Italian architect Mario Rossi who sought inspiration from 15th century Mamluk Egypt. The entrance is covered in beautiful horseshoe arches (that I could not get enough of). This…

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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Tay Explores

Now to share one of my favorites places in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This mosque was a vision by the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan who set the foundation of the structure but was completed and opened for worship in 2007, after his death. When I went back in 2010, I had a basic point and shoot camera. While going through my pictures, 6 years later, I feel that they do not do justice to the beauty of this mosque (well…I don’t think any picture can really do justice to it). However, I hope that you will still enjoy looking through them. It features several different styles of Islamic architecture like Mamluk, Ottoman and Fatimid. There are four minarets and eighty two domes and it can accommodate up to 40,000 worshipers. Most of the mosque is made in the iconic white (favorite color of the sheikh who founded it) marble. It features ornate…

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Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Tay Explores

When I was in school, I randomly used to look up luxury hotels and go through their photo galleries for inspiration and also just for fun. The Emirates Palace Hotel was one of the first ones I had heard about in the UAE (besides the famous Burj-Al-Arab). When a friend told me about it, I immediately looked it up. From the pictures, I remember being more impressed with the exterior design and architecture of it rather than the interior. When I finally went and saw it with my own eyes, I still felt the same way. It definitely lived up to it’s name in that it looked like a palace.We didn’t get to go in any of the rooms or suites (I’m sure they are magnificent) but we did get to go inside and see the main areas like the lobby and the courtyard. When you enter through the main entrance, it is…

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