Near Shaikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

I'm doomed to squint in every picture taken of me in Abu Dhabi, but the sunshine here is splendid.

M snapped this photo near the almost-complete Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Because I'm standing behind the mosque, the picture doesn't do this awesome structure justice. We'll have to go off the island to get a good view of the front facade; the mosque is so large that photos must be taken from a good distance. It is majestic from the front.

According to reports, Shaikh Zayed Mosque will be one of the ten largest in the world. I've heard it will be one of the three or four largest, but I cannot confirm that.

The carpet for this mosque was made in Iran. It is the largest in the world. Using 28 colors, it took more than 200 weavers over one year to complete. The main prayer hall will be able to hold more than 40,000 worshippers.