#871 Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Where in the world can you travel many countries and continents in comfort in less than an afternoon? I really hate to be an advertisement, but of any mall I have ever been to in the world, this one has had the most imagination and the most beautiful design -- the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai in the UAE. It may not be as record breaking as the Dubai Mall under the Burj tower, but it is more pleasant and every visitor should learn something -- about the namesake Ibn Battuta.

Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan traveller who went around the world centuries before Marco Polo, his most famous European equivalent. He went across the Middle East, completed his Hajj pilgrimmage to Mecca and continued on through India and Asia to China. In order to replicate his route (focusing on the more famous parts, of course!) the mall progresses from China court at one end, which has a food hall and cinema along with an enormous Chinese junk boat, through India Court, Persia Court, Egypt Court, Tunisia Court to finally Andalusia at the other end.

Unfortunately, every time I went there I was not taking photos but focusing on shopping so none of the following photos are mine. It takes a good 15 minutes to walk from end to end as its 1.3km long, unless you get the convenient train!

China Court. Image from www.ianandwendy.com

India Court. Image from tripadvisor.com

Egypt Court. Image from timeoutdubai.com

Egypt Court from the outside. Image from flickr.com

Persia Court. Photo from madiganburke.blogspot.com. If you look closely at the Persia Court tiles you will see that they are not really tiles. Innovative workers painted these beautiful creations instead. While this may be a disappointment for traditionalists, it is smart on a commercial scale -- and still beautiful!

Persia Court. Image from www.tripadvisor.com

Tunisia Court. Image from www.uae-businessdirectory.com

Andalusia Court. Image from travelblog.org

While I am not wishing to advertise a company, the mall website can be found here.

#894 Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Feast your eyes on this magnificent building! The Abu Dhabi mosque has only been completed very recently and is a beautiful religious monument in the standards of old. The size of 5 football fields, yet it is still only the 8th largest mosque in the world. It is spectacular in its artisanship, with materials and craftsmen coming from across the world as far away as New Zealand, Morocco, China and Germany. From afar it is a glittering magnificent white against the blue UAE skies, but upon closer examination, the white Italian marble has been carved into elegant flowers, and in other places such as the pillars, inlaid with semi-precious stones, also in the forms of flowers.

The glass in the windows is like crystal, and also carved into flowers -- as it is against Islamic traditions to portray any beast or person in their art. Stupendous chandeliers ornament each large dome with its star-shaped supports. Modern technology has not be forgotten with the smart international clocks in each room and the efficient air conditioning and lighting systems. An army of cleaners sweeps, mops, and shines each area as all the covered visitors wander through the vast spaces necks craned and cameras snapping in awe.

The late Sheikh initiated the building of this mosque, and his tomb also lies here. While the grandeur may seem excessive, it is a beauty!

 

 

 

 

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Zayed_Mosque

#903 Gold Souq, Dubai, UAE

I never really knew what rich was until I visited the Gold Souq in Dubai. It was a sweltering mid-July day when if you're wearing glasses and you try and go from inside to outside, they immediately fog up because of the humidity. It is so sweaty that being outside for any length of time is draining. The gold souq was empty, but the gleaming windows were free of onlookers so we could gawp all we wanted! Wow -- so much yellow (the preferred variety in this part of the world as purity is more important than durability). So big! So much! It's not much more than a block or two, but it feels like the concentration of shops and jewelry makes up for its small size. I could wander and find a favorite design or simply marvel at the styles. Some are ugly and others elegant. Some can clearly only be afforded by a rich oil baron, but almost all is intended to be part of a dowry. An amazing cultural exchange!