LIFE> Travel
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LIFE> Travel
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Magic carpet ride to Fantasyland
By Ou Shuyi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-03 16:09
An air of luxury fills every corner: door handles encrusted with Swarovski crystals the size of big coins; thick pillars covered in gold leaf; vaulted ceilings with crystal chandeliers and extravagant floral displays garnishing every other atrium. The most eye-catching is the main hall's 60-m high gold-leaf dome, which is even larger than the one atop St Paul's Cathedral in London. "Everything you see is real. It's real gold, real silver, real marble, real crystals," says Hazem Harfoush, assistant director of sales and marketing, while showing me the 600-sq-m suite, which is about $10,000 a night. The colossal size and luxury of the suite were beyond my imagination. A private lift takes you directly inside the suite; the lounge is spacious enough to hold a 20-people party; three bedrooms are designed in shades of gold and silver; a separate dining room resembles a fancy hall fit to hold a wedding banquet. Standing on the balcony, which is as large as my entire apartment in Beijing, I took in a good view over the emerald water of the Persian Gulf. "Money can buy everything, right?" I asked Harfoush. The Indian native who has worked in the hotel for about a year, smiled and answered: "Not really." The best suites in the hotel are reserved exclusively for the Royal Family, Harfoush says. It's said a Russian guest once offered $1 million for the suite but was politely turned down. Since its opening in 2005, the hotel has been graced by numerous dignitaries and celebrities, including top performers like Michael Jackson and Elton John, and heads of state like President George W Bush. "The list of our celebrity guests is endless," says Harfoush. "George Michael was one of our latest guests." Away from the hustle and bustle of the Emirates Palace, the mood is somewhat quieter inside Sheikh Zayed mosque, another popular attraction in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Zayed mosque is one of Abu Dhabi's draw cards. Said to be the world's third largest mosque, this landmark is a showcase of traditional Islamic designs, modern architectural techniques and the world's finest craftsmanship. One centerpiece is the world's largest carpet, around 6,000 sq m, which was woven in Iran by 1,200 women over two years, then flown in pieces and sewn together on-site. Another is the world's largest chandelier from Germany, made with 1 million crystals, 28 different types of marble and 24-carat gold. The overall cost of the project is $545 million, small change in this hugely wealthy city. Although the mosque has been open to both Muslims and non-Muslims since early 2008, the landscaping was still being finished when I visited. Filing in and out of the prayer hall were mostly tourists. At the corner of the main prayer hall, a few Muslims prayed on their knees, seemingly unaware of the chaos and noise outside. It was late in the afternoon when I walked out of the mosque. The white-marbled domes and towering minarets were bathed in the golden light of sunset. The picture-perfect mosque was in a contrast with its barren surroundings. Low-rise buildings and trees still outnumbered skyscrapers in this part of the city and cranes and half-finished buildings soared in every direction. Someday soon, these buildings will be finished and very likely, among them will be more of the "biggest", "most expensive" and "lavish" landmarks in the world. Although biggest is not necessarily most beautiful, it's hard not to be impressed by Abu Dhabi's grandiose ambitions, particularly for first-time visitors like me.
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