We started with the mosque (which Libby and I had visited previously), which I think can speak well enough for itself:

What one feels about this or any other religion, it’s difficult to believe the structure is anything but sublime.

Next, we went to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which we found to be in a kind of deserted (though building) area across from the main city area. There’s an interesting article in the New York Times on the museum that I highly recommend. The collection draws connections between cultures and time periods, and while it’s perhaps guilty of over simplification I think it strikes a cord in a way that’s not been done previously as well in my experience.

From the New York Times article:

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is banking on the theory that pointing out links among a wide variety of cultures will make all art feel more approachable to the global audience it hopes to attract. Once viewers gain the habit of spotting connections, they may come to accept that all cultures are equally valuable and personally relevant. That, at least, seems to be the thinking, and it makes sense.

And, I think it really works — it’s a triumph.

Let me share a few examples…

The common theme of motherhood from Europe, Asia, and Africa:

The direct line between these classical and neoclassical artworks:

The juxtaposition of Judaic, Islamic, and Christian texts and objects:

I could go on. It’s an encyclopedic museum:

But, the collection and exhibition also spoke to a global future and international themes of today:

Plus, the space itself is simply amazing…

The hour-long (or thereabouts) drive back to our hotel was uneventful.

For dinner tonight (since we didn’t want to wait until sunset to eat) we ordered pizza and salad to our suite from a local Italian restaurant called Massimo’s. It was both delicious and reasonably priced.

So, here you have it: photos from our March trip to the UAE and Oman…

What’s left to be said? I can’t say this was our ‘best’ trip ever (that place is still held by the 3+ weeks we spent in Europe in 2008). I can’t say that it was the ‘most relaxing’ vacation or the ‘most beautiful’ place we’ve ever visited. So, what can I say?

The trip–aside from the cruise itself, which was basically ‘just another (good) cruise’–greatly exceeded our expectations. Admittedly, we (intentionally) went without a lot of preconceptions or anticipations. We mostly went because we could… because it was different… because it was there. But, we found our experiences in the UAE and Oman to be delightful, from the small (so, this is how a car wash works here) to the sublime (I see why they call this a ‘Grand Mosque’).

We enjoyed getting mistaken for British or German(!) visitors (Americans were few and far in between). We loved our interactions with locals; it was both enlightening and satisfying. Indeed, of all of the trips we’ve taken, this was probably the purest ‘experience’ on a personal level… by that I mean to say, it was a real growth experience.

Let’s be totally honest: before this trip I would have never imagined that some guy walking through an airport in a dishdasha and turban might be a country music fan or hold the Ford Mustang to be his favorite car. It simply would have never occurred to me. Intellectually, I knew that all people were/are unique individuals and most are fundamentally decent. But, I understand that a lot more viscerally now…. that’s pretty awesome.

And, while there are customs and practices that I still find foreign, I think I have an enhanced understanding of those differences and have a greater ability to see ‘both sides’ of the proverbial coin. I’ll have to spend some more time pondering all that I’ve seen and learned. Most importantly, this experience underscores for me that there’s more to learn and that it’s a worthwhile topic of further exploration. My interest in the region and its people is clearly raised…

Finally, we’ve already agreed that we want to go back to the UAE and Oman in the future. In part, it’s just a cool place to visit and a logical stop on a global hop around the world. We’re also interested in reading firsthand the next chapters in these countries’ stories.

Having talked with Libby at length about this trip, I think she shares similar sentiments. It was surprisingly good. Enjoyable and enlightening.

After landing in Atlanta this morning, I checked my email to find a note from Yusef. That was a nice exclamation point to put on the end of this trip. I’m actually hopeful that we’ll meet again some day… either here in the USA or back in his homeland.

We’re now back home and returning to ‘normal’ life.

Until our next adventure…

The Grand Mosque is epic in its scale, capable of holding 40,000 worshipers. Covered in gleaming white marble, it is topped with 80 gold gilded domes, decorated with intricate floral motifs made from semi-precious stones, and illuminated by massive (9 ton!) crystal chandeliers. The mosque also houses to the world’s largest Persian carpet (which required the skilled labor of 2,000 craftsmen for two years to complete).

Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Grand Mosque Interior, Abu Dhabi

After the mosque, we traveled along Abu Dhabi’s seaside corniche, past the impressive Emirates Palace (which is actually a luxury hotel) and to the Marina Mall (home to nearly 400 retail stores… hence Libby’s other religious experience for the day).

Although the UAE’s largest and wealthiest emirate, Abu Dhabi currently feels a little like ‘Dubai-lite’ to me. As with the rest of the emirates only 50 years ago, Abu Dahbi was little more than a small fishing and pearling village. The discovery of ‘black gold’ in 1958 brought wealth and development, as evidenced by a number modest downtown high-rises of 1960’s/70’s style architecture (not an especially high point aesthetically, reminding me of the ‘Brutalism’ found at home on the University of South Florida’s earliest buildings from that same period). However, Abu Dhabi’s skyline continues to evolve with newer, grander, and more magnificent designs seemingly sprouting up on every street corner. Most excitingly, Abu Dhabi seeks to become a cultural—rather than just commercial leader—with outposts of the Guggenheim and Louvre among five new world-class museums and performing art centers now under construction.

I look forward to returning to Abu Dhabi in the future, as I suspect that we’ll eventually grow to prefer it to Dubai.

Tonight, we returned to Chops Grille for dinner. Standouts this evening were my appetizer (Asian-style spicy tuna—raw, finely diced; perfectly garnished on sesame points) and Libby’s dessert (a decadent and upscale take on Mississippi Mud Pie).

After dinner, we went to a headliner show featuring soul music. The performer really worked hard, had a decent enough voice, and good stage presence. But, honestly, he struggled to have this audience (with—literally—a boatload of various European nationalities) ‘get’ his show.

Tomorrow, we return to Dubai for an overnight visit before disembarking. Then, it’s off to the airport to pick-up the rental car and away to the four remaining emirates we go!

Today’s box score: +1 country (Abu Dhabi, UAE)