1993 Abdelki Whiteprint Plans for the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, United Arab Emirates

Early Plans for the World's Greatest Modern Mosque.

This is a c. 1993 set of four original whiteprint overview plans for the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the third-largest mosque in the world (after those in Mecca and Medina) and easily one of the most beautiful modern mosques. Conceived by Sheikh Zayed himself, the mosque became his final resting place in 2004.

A Closer Look

Although not dated, these sheets likely were produced early in the design phase of the mosque (c. 1993-94), before construction began, as there are minor but noticeable differences with the ultimate layout of the mosque, such as the number and arrangement of minarets and the smallest domes around the large domes that dominate the silhouette of the structure. Also, the mosque today is surrounded on three sides by water, apparently lacking in this early conception.

Of the four sheets, the first two (35.5 x 48 in. and 33.25 x 60 in., respectively) present the mosque in profile from the front and side at a scale of 250. The third sheet (at a scale of 1000 and measuring 35.5 x 48.25 in.) adopts a slightly oblique, bird's-eye perspective. It provides a general overview of the complex's interior, noting (in English) entrances, covered and uncovered prayer areas, a library and lecture halls, minarets, and more, with their dimensions. The fourth sheet (35.75 x 47.75 in.) details one half of the mosque complex in more detail, including staircases, arcades, and patterns on the floors and ceilings.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Abu Dhabi's grand mosque was conceived in the late 1980s by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918 - 2004), the dynamic founding president of the United Arab Emirates. As in most matters, the Sheikh had grand ambitions and envisioned a monumental symbol uniting diverse Islamic architectural heritage with modern design. He also wanted a towering structure to celebrate moderation (wasatiyyah, وسط, وسطية ) and tolerance in Islam, an implicit contrast to the growing fundamentalist movement of the late 20th century, including Wahhabism / Salafism emanating from Saudi Arabia.

Official planning for the mosque culminated in the early to mid-1990s with the selection of Yusef Abdelki as the chief architect following a 1988 international design competition. The architects chose an elevated site ten meters above the surrounding land, between the Maqta and Musaffah bridges on what was then the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, covering more than 555,000 square meters. Construction formally began on November 5, 1996, launching an 11-year undertaking that ultimately involved more than 3,000 workers and artisans from 38 countries. With so many experts involved, the mosque's design changed throughout construction for stylistic or practical reasons, explaining differences between the early plans shown here and the final structure.

The initial phase of construction focused on heavy civil engineering and framing, erecting 82 Mughal- and Ottoman-inspired domes, four 107-meter-tall minarets, and a reinforced skeleton built to support tons of imported stone. The enormous mosque can accommodate 55,000 worshippers and, having quickly become a major landmark for Abu Dhabi and the entire Gulf Region, annually welcomes many thousands of visitors of all faiths and nations.

Diazo Print or Whiteprint

The diazo print (whiteprint or diazo for short) is a photo-reproductive technique best understood as a reverse cyanotype or blueprint. The process yields distinctive blue lines on white paper. Like cyanotypes, the diazo process gained popularity in architecture circles as a simple, effective way to duplicate documents in the field. The earliest diazotypes appeared around 1880 and were adopted for military and field cartographic use from about 1895. The diazo process was commercialized in 1923, when the German firm, Kalle and Company, developed Ozalid, a patented diazo paper that made diazotyping even easier. By the 1950s, it supplemented cyanotypes as the reprographic technique of choice for technical drawings.

Publication History and Census

These plans were likely prepared by Yusef Abdelki, the mosque's chief architect, or members of his team during the planning phase of the mosque's construction, circa 1993 or 1994. As whiteprints, these are by nature ephemeral and were likely produced in very low numbers. We are aware of no other examples, though the mosque itself or state archives in Abu Dhabi likely hold similar whiteprints.

Cartographer

Yusef Abdelki (fl. c. 1988 - present ; يوسف عبدلكي), not to be confused with a Syrian visual artist (b. 1951) of the same name, is a Syrian architect best known as the principal designer of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. His architectural proposal rose to prominence in 1988 after winning an international design competition held to establish a national landmark mosque for the United Arab Emirates. Abdelki envisioned a monument that synthesized architectural traditions from across the Islamic world, drawing inspiration from Mughal floor plans, Ottoman domes, Mamluk and Fatimid minarets, and Moorish arcades to unify centuries of regional craftsmanship into a single modern structure. Managing efforts with colleagues and construction firms from several dozen countries, Abdelki achieved widespread recognition for successfully integrating classical Islamic heritage with contemporary structural engineering.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Whiteprint. Some discoloration along original fold lines.