Mosques in the Unfamiliar Abu Dhabi

I don’t mean to overload you with photography from Abu Dhabi, but I am spending a lot of time here, and therefore it is, by default, the subject of much photography.  Also, I am working on a project that I have tentatively called “The Unfamiliar Abu Dhabi.”  The photographs featured in the post are additional candidates for this project.

The city of Abu Dhabi is a study in contrast on a number of levels.  These photographs represent one small slice of that contrast.  The story I want to tell in these photographs is the rapid pace of development contrasted against a rich religious tradition.

If you were to visit Abu Dhabi, you would never be out of sight of a mosque (the previous photograph shows three mosques within eyesight of each other, on one city block).  I can’t verify the veracity of the statement, but a friend once told me that Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates, wanted mosques located in such a way that no one would have to walk more than 500 meters to find a mosque for daily prayers.  True or not, my guess is that the objective was achieved.
So now we can juxtapose mosques located at convenient intervals surrounded by skyscrapers and the ubiquitous construction and development that lives in Abu Dhabi without pause.  Contrast level one.
More of the Unfamiliar Abu Dhabi to come and I hope you are enjoying the more frequent and shorter blog posts.  I would love to hear your feedback.
Have fun, and go make some great photography!
Craig