Al Ghurfah

Our last stop was the Al Bidiyah Mosque, the oldest in the Emirates from 1446 AD. The small, square structure has an area of 570 sq ft was built from materials available in the area, primarily stones of various sizes and mud bricks coated in many layers of whitewashed plaster. The roof has four squats, helical domes that are supported by only one centrally placed pillar that also forms the ceiling. Entrance to the mosque is through double-winged wooden doors.

The prayer hall has a small mihrab (the niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca), a simple pulpit, arches, and openings. Inside the prayer hall, a number of small windows allow light and air to enter the mosque. It is a very holy place for Muslims and protected by security and respected by visitors wearing proper dress.

After discussions with the tour guide about Jews in UAE, he showed the two of us a video of the first Service in the new and FIRST Synagogue in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi (where he happened to be invited that day last month). The "Abrahamic Family House," an interfaith complex housing a mosque, a church, and the Gulf Arab state's first ever purpose-built synagogue.

The Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque, which is named after the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, the leading authority on Sunni Islam, is oriented towards Mecca. His Holiness Francis Church is dedicated to the 13th century monk St. Francis of Assisi, after whom the current Catholic pope is named. It is oriented towards the rising sun in the east. The Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue honors the 12th century Jewish philosopher known as Rabbi Maimonides. The scholar was also a medical doctor who led the Mediterranean Jewish world and whose patients included Saladin, the Muslim ruler of Egypt and Syria. The synagogue is the UAE's first purpose-built Jewish place of worship and, like most synagogues around the world, is oriented towards Jerusalem. It is inspired by the Jewish festival of the Sukkot, which is celebrated by building temporary shelters. An oculus in the ceiling of the space lets direct light come inside.

While entirely unique, each individual building is a 30-meter (98 feet) by 30-meter cube. The unifying design is meant to provide a common base from which tolerance and understanding can be promoted.Read more