Sheikh Zayed mosques in UAE and Indonesia mark Ramadan

▶ Places of worship 7,000km apart, named in honour of Founding Father, play central roles in holy month

Two mosques united by name are at the heart of Ramadan celebrations in the UAE and Indonesia. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and its namesake in Surakarta – also known as Solo – in Indonesia, are hosting thousands of worshippers during the holy month.

Surakarta’s the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, on the island of Java, was named in a tribute to the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

It was inaugurated by President Sheikh Mohamed and Indonesian President Joko Widodo last November.

Though smaller than the Abu Dhabi mosque, it bears a remarkable resemblance to the UAE’s architectural marvel, with its striking white and gold decor, four minarets and a central dome surrounded by four smaller domes.

Sheikh Mohamed offered the $20 million building as a gift to Indonesia during his trip to the country in July 2019.

The Surakarta mosque is a meeting place for thousands of Muslims seeking to connect with others when breaking their fast. It hosts a communal iftar each day, with capacity to serve 6,000 people.

Emirates Red Crescent, the humanitarian arm of the UAE government, has teamed up with Emirati charities to help organise the gathering.

Iftar is distributed in three large tents, under the supervision of volunteers from Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities and young men and women from the Solo region who are eager to help.

Meanwhile, 7,000km away in Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s largest mosques is also a focal point during the holy month.

Worshippers turned out in force to perform isha prayers at the beginning of Ramadan.

Last year, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre provided 30,000 iftar meals every day across Abu Dhabi during the holy month.

Meals are prepared at the nearby Erth Abu Dhabi hotel.

Reuters; AFP; EPA From top, a woman with an iftar box in Baghdad; a US serviceman announces the call to maghrib prayers at US Camp Arifjan, south of Kuwait City; women offer taraweeh night prayers at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Surakarta, Indonesia; a worshipper reads the Quran before breaking fast at Al Azhar Mosque in Cairo

Reuters; AFP; EPA From top, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and officials perform maghrib prayers before iftar; a volunteer distributes fruit during a charity iftar for low-wage workers at a mosque in Manama; zafrani noodles are prepared in Hyderabad, southern Pakistan; a Palestinian musaharati wakes residents in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, for suhoor

Victor Besa / The National Isha prayers at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi