Attraction
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Abu Dhabi's great white mosque, inaugurated in 2007, with 82 domes, four minarets, a vast hand-knotted carpet and free guided cultural tours for visitors.
Abrahamic Family House
David Adjaye's interfaith complex on Saadiyat Island, opened in 2023, where a mosque, a church and a synagogue stand side by side above a shared pavilion.
At a glance
- Type
- Interfaith complex: mosque, church and synagogue
- Area
- Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Official site
- abrahamicfamilyhouse.ae
Good to know
- Free entry
- Visitor pavilion
- Bus 94
Why we recommend it
The Abrahamic Family House is one of the most thought-provoking places to visit in Abu Dhabi. It brings together a mosque, a church and a synagogue on a single site in the Saadiyat Cultural District, each a working house of worship, with a shared visitor pavilion beneath them. The complex was officially inaugurated on 16 February 2023 and opened to the public on 1 March 2023.
Its starting point was the Document on Human Fraternity, signed in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019, a declaration on peaceful coexistence between faiths. The three buildings are named the Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque, St. Francis Church and the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, and the names themselves are a statement of the project's purpose.
The architect David Adjaye designed the three as cube-shaped buildings, each set at a different orientation, rising above a shared visitor pavilion. The geometry is simple and restrained, quite different from the grand scale of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and walking from one house of worship to the next makes the idea of the project easy to grasp without any explanation.
Entry is free and open to everyone. Because all three are active places of worship, it makes sense to check visiting arrangements on the official website before you go, particularly around Friday, Saturday and Sunday services. Modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees is a sensible choice, and women may want to carry a scarf for the mosque. Allow about an hour, including time in the pavilion.
The visit suits anyone interested in religion, architecture or the UAE's approach to tolerance, and older children usually find it interesting. The complex is in the Saadiyat Cultural District, a short taxi ride from Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, so it fits easily into a day of museums. Public bus route 94 serves the area. Quiet weekday mornings are usually the best time to experience the three buildings without crowds. Photography of the exteriors is popular, but be respectful of worshippers inside, and keep voices low as you move between the mosque, church and synagogue. If you are short of time, the Abrahamic Family House works well as a short stop between two larger museum visits on the same island.
Abrahamic Family House FAQs
What is the Abrahamic Family House?
A complex with a mosque, a church and a synagogue side by side on Saadiyat Island.
When did it open?
It was inaugurated on 16 February 2023 and opened to the public on 1 March 2023.
Is it free to visit?
Yes. Entry is free and open to everyone.
Who designed it?
The architect David Adjaye.
What are the three buildings called?
The Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque, St. Francis Church and the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue.
What inspired it?
The Document on Human Fraternity, signed in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019.
How do you get there?
It is in the Saadiyat Cultural District and is served by public bus route 94 and by taxi.