Sheikh Zayed Mosque receives thousands of worshippers

Thousands of worshippers and visitors gathered at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to mark the first day of Eid Al Fitr and the end of Ramadan. The halls of the mosque and its surrounding areas were filled with worshippers and visitors. A total of 217,000 worshippers and visitors visited the mosque during Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr prayers, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) announced on Tuesday. More than 52,000 worshippers gathered in the early hours to perform pre-dawn prayers (Tahajud) during Lailat Al Qadr (the Night of Power.) The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque also welcomed 33,000 visitors of various nationalities during the Eid Al Fitr holiday. The second day of Eid Al Fitr marked the largest number of visitors, which reached 17,000 on Friday. Various organisations including the Department of Civil Defence, Abu Dhabi Police, the Centre of Waste Management, Emirates Red Crescent, the Armed Forces Officers' Club and the public safety and emergency services have worked closely with SZGMC to ensure the prayer programmes run smoothly. Additionally, public tours are offered to visitors every day from 10am to 8pm. The interactive tours are led by official tourist guides at the SZGMC offering insights into the architecture. The SZGMC was established under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and supervised by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. Source: Gulf News