This neighbourhood of tolerance on Abu Dhabi island deserves its own tour

Mary, Mother of Jesus Mosque in Mushrif. This neighbourhood in Abu Dhabi has always been a venue for inter-faith connectedness. Victor Besa / The National

When the Abrahamic Family House opened on Saadiyat Island’s Jacques Chirac Street early last year, the site rightly won instant praise. Imagined as a place where three religions – Islam, Judaism and Christianity – can co-exist in a connected setting that speaks to respect and inter-faith dialogue, the family house was recognised by Time magazine as one of the “world’s greatest places” earlier this year.

It is no surprise that this visually stunning and spiritually uplifting site, and the burgeoning cultural district that surrounds it, is already a popular destination point for tourists and residents alike.

Across town, in the Mushrif area of Abu Dhabi island, visitors may chance upon another blend of faiths and sounds, one that could easily be described as another diverse collection of faith houses.

Reverend Canon Andy Thompson, who was for many years the senior chaplain at the neighbourhood’s St Andrew’s Church, noted in his 2011 book, Christianity in the UAE, that in the Churches Area “mosque and church are side by side. The newcomer will often marvel and comment on the sound of the call to prayer mingling with the refrains of Christian worship”. His words about the area are redolent of the much newer venue for inter-faith connectedness on Saadiyat and, indeed, are an accurate and relevant portrayal of the Mushrif area as it is today.

People flood into the Abu Dhabi island neighbourhood at weekends and in the evening. An urban anthropologist might note the diverse and multicultural nature of those worshippers who arrive in the area and, perhaps, that cars, humans and chatter fill the streets over the weekend hours in the manner of a tide that ebbs and flows alongside the timings of worship. Late in the evening, the surrounding streets stand still again, except at times of religious festivals when services might run through the night.

Christmas Eve mass at St Joseph's Cathedral in Mushrif. Pope Francis visited it hours before mass at Zayed Sports City Stadium in 2019. Victor Besa / The National

On one corner of the neighbourhood is Mary, Mother of Jesus Mosque. On another is St Antony’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral. Next door is St Andrew’s Church, St Joseph’s Cathedral and St Therese Church. Pope Francis visited St Joseph’s hours before the large public Papal mass at Zayed Sports City Stadium in 2019.

This is what was once referred to by this newspaper as a “kaleidoscope of denominations”. The multiple streams of Christianity are represented here, alongside Islam. A simple search on Google Maps produces a basket of marker flags within the block representing different forms of faith being practised.

Across the street and clustered close to the main entrance of The British School Al Khubairat, itself a fixture of the block for several decades, and the Liwa International School, is the Evangelical Church and behind that, the soon-to-be-opened St George Orthodox Cathedral, which is a handsome addition to the neighbourhood, with its whitewashed walls, striking architecture and ornate windows.

An urban anthropologist might note the diverse and multicultural nature of the worshippers who arrive in the Mushrif area at weekends and in the evening

As The National previously reported, St George Orthodox Cathedral began work on the new church last year after the demolition of the old and smaller house of worship on the site. The project has been funded by donations from congregants.

Reverend Father Eldho Paul, the vicar at St George’s, said last year that he had “no words to thank our community members who are fully behind this project, but my biggest gratitude is for the leadership of this country that has set an example for tolerance and religious coexistence for the rest of the country”.

The work to open the new building is nearing completion. The scaffolding that had shrouded the building as it was constructed has been removed and tidied away. It is understood that the building will open soon, although anyone who has ever undertaken a construction project will know that these things have a habit of running on their own schedule and depend on a multitude of inter-related factors and approvals.

The Abrahamic Family House is one part of a constellation of cultural assets that will soon be within touching distance of each other. The Abrahamic Family House

From a broader perspective, it makes me wonder if these many places of worship in one small city block could form part of Abu Dhabi’s ever-expanding visitor experience and proposition.

In the cooler months of the year, you could imagine a tour that took in some of these long-established faith houses and an amble around the nearby Umm Al Emarat Park in Mushrif. Anyone who has enjoyed a walking tour of one of Europe’s major cities knows that visiting a place of worship, or several, is an almost expected part of such a walk.

The Saadiyat family house is one part of a constellation of cultural assets that will one day soon be within touching distance of each other. Those three buildings and Louvre Abu Dhabi are close neighbours already. In not many years from now, visitors will be able to stride along an avenue of museums that includes Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and the Natural History Museum, among others.

Visitors to Abu Dhabi are rarely less than awe-struck by the beauty and serenity of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and, now, the balance and harmony of the Abrahamic Family House. The Churches Area is another example of the peace, respect and diversity at work in the city and country.