WATCH: First look at Abu Dhabi’s interfaith Abrahamic family home

Abu Dhabi: in the heart of Saadiyat’s cultural district, three off-white buildings each look unique but seem to share something fundamentally similar. The undeniable similarities between them exemplify the shared values ​​espoused by the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex that is a testament to the UAE’s tolerant outlook.

The complex, which includes a mosque, a church and a synagogue, was officially inaugurated last week and welcomed its first worshipers over the weekend.

The first Friday prayers were held at His Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque on February 17, while the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue held its first service on February 19, starting with the hanging of the Mezuzah, followed by the afternoon prayer of the Mincha. On the same day, a service was held at the Reverend Francis Church, officiated by the Reverend Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, with prayers and hymns sung by the choir. The ceremony ended with a message from Mgr Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.

Three chapels are open to worshipers, and visitors can take guided tours of the site from early March. Designed by British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, the complex is named after Abraham, a prophet revered by Muslims, Christians and Jews alike.

During a media tour, the facility’s head of visitor experience, Musab Mohamed Ibrahim, explained that each building is shaped like a cube, 30 meters deep, 30 meters wide and 30 meters high. The entire site highlights the interplay of five shared elements: water, wood, stone, metal and light.

“Each house of worship can accommodate a certain number of worshipers, depending on how the space is designated to accommodate worshipers and their specific acts of worship,” he explained.

The chapels all open onto a raised central garden that will host various events. The open space is also designed to allow visitors to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the facility and look out over the various museums that will be built on Saadiyat Island.

At the Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque, 322 worshipers can stand shoulder to shoulder. The mosque has separate bathing spaces for men and women, as well as separate entrances. A women’s prayer area is separated by screens.

The facade of the mosque has seven arches, echoing figures that are often found in Islamic belief and practice. Beyond these arches, Islamic geometric patterns form a concrete lattice reminiscent of mashrabiya, the protruding windows commonly found in Islamic architecture.

Light filters through the lattice into the carpeted prayer hall, which includes a mihrab, a niche in the wall facing the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The imam stands here when he presides over prayers. Next to it is a small bar or pulpit at the top of a set of steps, where the imam stands when he preaches. The ceiling is shaped by columns that seem to meet at the intersection of multiple domes.

Opposite the mosque is the Church of St. Francis, which can accommodate 300 worshipers inside. A golden cross hangs above the altar, with pews facing east toward the sunrise, and some Christian groups see it as a symbol of Jesus’ ascension. Ibrahim explained that the crucifix was also purposefully designed without facial features in order to make the church a welcoming space for Christians of all denominations.

The facade of the church is composed of many upright pillars, and there are two pillars of different lengths at the entrance, symbolizing the ascension and descent of Jesus. Outside this space, the triangular pool calls to the Holy Trinity in Christian teachings.

The baptistery is located in a steeple structure outside the church hall, another common feature of Christian architecture. A stone corridor leads to the inner baptistery where baptisms can be performed.

The Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue can accommodate 280 seated worshipers. The seating is arranged around a raised platform called a bimah from which rabbis read religious texts during festivals and services.

The intersecting stone columns on the façade, as well as the intersecting wooden beams on the seats, symbolize the tent-like structure, which has special significance in Jewish history. The interior hall of the synagogue is also reminiscent of the interior of a tent, with a metal curtain in the middle and a small opening facing the sky. The Ten Commandments of the Old Testament are engraved on the central wall, fronted by golden menorahs, which are lit during the festival. The corridor leading to the central hall includes washing facilities for devotees to purify themselves, and an alcove for scriptures.

The external compound outside the synagogue also includes a special facility for ceremonial mikveh purification baths and a dedicated education centre.

Ibrahim said the synagogue was the first purpose-built synagogue in the UAE.

“I believe that architecture should strive to embody the world we want to live in, a world that is inclusive, open and progressive. As an architect, I want to create something that enriches human life. Our hope is that through these buildings , people of all faiths and all walks of life can learn and live out their mission of peaceful coexistence for future generations,” architect Adjaye said of the facility’s design.

Rooted in the UAE’s values ​​of bringing people and culture together, Abrahamic Family House reflects the diversity of Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, home to a vibrant multicultural community of all faiths. The project was inspired by the principles contained in the Human Fraternity Document, signed in Abu Dhabi in 2019 by Pope Francis His Holiness and His Holiness the Grand Imam Dr Ahmed Tayeb.

It was inaugurated on February 16 by Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence. The next day, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak delivered the keynote speech at the first interfaith conference on peaceful coexistence.

“With the strong support of the UAE leadership and people, by establishing the Abraham Family Home in Abu Dhabi, we hope to work together to strengthen our ability to share the values ​​of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence with the world,” he said.

“The Abraham Family House is a true reflection of the provisions of the Human Fraternity Document, which calls for ensuring peaceful coexistence. It is a testament to the vision of the United Arab Emirates and its leaders to promote interfaith dialogue and peace among all peoples. The Abraham Family House is the A model of coexistence, reconciliation and mutual respect.” Inauguration.

“The Abraham Family House is a concrete example of people of different religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs returning to their essentials: loving their neighbor. It will be a place that fosters dialogue and mutual respect, and serves for human brotherhood as we walk the path of peace together service,” added Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuzo Guizo, [resident of The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue of The Holy See.

“On this historic day, we have gathered to celebrate this remarkable monument to loving kindness – the Abrahamic Family House. From today onwards, let us use this extraordinary and sacred site to promote harmony and peace. In a world in which differences can separate us, let us say here that our shared values shall exist for the sake of our universal aspirations,” said Sir Ephraim Mirvis, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.