• FUJARIAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - July 31, 2012 - Siddiki Sarkar chisels away some of the cement wall that will be covered with plastered in this drainage trough along one side of the mall of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque mosque being built in Fujariah City, Fujariah, July 31, 2012. (Photo by Jeff Topping/The National)
    FUJARIAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - July 31, 2012 - Siddiki Sarkar chisels away some of the cement wall that will be covered with plastered in this drainage trough along one side of the mall of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque mosque being built in Fujariah City, Fujariah, July 31, 2012. (Photo by Jeff Topping/The National)
  • The interior is inspired by the repeating geometric patterns of stone work in the Ummayad style, lit naturally by mashrabiya lattice screens. The marble mithrab prayer niche will be surrounded by stained glass.
    The interior is inspired by the repeating geometric patterns of stone work in the Ummayad style, lit naturally by mashrabiya lattice screens. The marble mithrab prayer niche will be surrounded by stained glass.
  • Labourers at work. Mosque construction has its own challenges. Transporting parts for 100-metre high minarets would have been no small challenge so instead they were poured on-site using a hydraulic slip form that could dry quickly.
    Labourers at work. Mosque construction has its own challenges. Transporting parts for 100-metre high minarets would have been no small challenge so instead they were poured on-site using a hydraulic slip form that could dry quickly.
  • The first phase of construction on the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is expected to be complete in November. Its total budget and final completion date have yet to be announced.
    The first phase of construction on the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is expected to be complete in November. Its total budget and final completion date have yet to be announced.
  • Ramadan may be a month for spiritual rest and renewal but work continues. Dome tops and minaret spires litter the grounds of the construction site waiting to be hoist into place. The men count their time in the UAE in months, though many have spent years ???
    Ramadan may be a month for spiritual rest and renewal but work continues. Dome tops and minaret spires litter the grounds of the construction site waiting to be hoist into place. The men count their time in the UAE in months, though many have spent years ???
  • Nazrul Islam, 22, a mason from the Natore district of Bangladesh, came to the UAE at 18. He preferred his work at Jumeirah and Dubai International City, because the pay was better.
    Nazrul Islam, 22, a mason from the Natore district of Bangladesh, came to the UAE at 18. He preferred his work at Jumeirah and Dubai International City, because the pay was better.
  • The men return to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque after prayers, guided by the lights of the cranes.
    The men return to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque after prayers, guided by the lights of the cranes.
  • The men live beside the great mosque in a collection of metal trailers, each painted seafoam green and crowded with three bunk beds. They pray in a temporary mosque in the camp.
    The men live beside the great mosque in a collection of metal trailers, each painted seafoam green and crowded with three bunk beds. They pray in a temporary mosque in the camp.
  • The 571 men scatter to mosques around the neighbourhood for iftar. They dress in their best collared shirts and hold hands in friendship.
    The 571 men scatter to mosques around the neighbourhood for iftar. They dress in their best collared shirts and hold hands in friendship.
  • Fujairah mosque will hold 25,500 men and 2,500 women and have 205 ablution places. The total plot is 22,000 square metres.
    Fujairah mosque will hold 25,500 men and 2,500 women and have 205 ablution places. The total plot is 22,000 square metres.
  • The dome of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Fujairah.
    The dome of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Fujairah.

UAE

In pictures: Building Fujairah's new mosque

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