Experience Diya at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, an immersive light journey celebrating UAE heritage and culture
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has launched Diya – A Universe of Light as part of its Light and Peace Museum. The installation features an immersive circular projection within the Peace Dome, turning the mosque into a space of colour, sound, and movement. Diya invites visitors to explore the symbolic power of light through a journey across the landscapes, culture, and heritage of the UAE.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has launched Diya – A Universe of Light as part of the Light and Peace Museum, featuring an immersive circular projection inside the Peace Dome, combining heritage, nature, and technology to offer a contemplative journey for visitors. pic.twitter.com/hB0G9TRp7Y
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The experience begins under a sky of stars before moving across the landscapes of the UAE. Visitors encounter green oases, towering mountains, serene coastlines, and golden deserts. The journey ends at the mosque itself, designed by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as a meeting point for cultures and a symbol of peace.
Where heritage meets technology
The scale of Diya is striking. More than 1.5 billion light units animate the visuals, with 1,483,815,000 used to recreate the mosque. The UAE’s national symbol, the Ghaf Tree, is represented with 166,315,000 units. Traditionally a place of gathering and refuge, the tree stands here for resilience, community, and tolerance. This gives the installation both cultural depth and technical ambition.
The combination of light, sound, and subtle natural effects like air and vibration makes the installation immersive. Visitors are drawn into each scene, invited to reflect on light as a physical phenomenon and as a symbol of beauty, spirituality, and shared humanity.
Diya adds a new dimension to Abu Dhabi’s cultural scene. It offers an experience that is both visually spectacular and thought-provoking. Also highlighting the UAE’s heritage while exploring the universal language of light.
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