The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday inaugurated the “Abrahamic Family House,” an interfaith complex that includes a mosque, a church and the Gulf State’s first-ever purpose-built synagogue.
Designed by renowned Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, the project incorporates several architectural styles traditionally found in mosques, churches and synagogues around the world.
A member of the media visits the interior of the Imam al-Tayeb Mosque during a tour of the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 21. Credit: Ryan Lim/AFP/Getty Images
“What you’re going to see in all projects is it’s always about filtering light, splitting light,” Adjaye told DailyExpertNews’s Becky Anderson.
“In the Mosque… the light surrounds you until you reach the silence and the stoic gaze of Mecca,” he said.
Inside the church, “you can hear the sound of running water,” Adjaye said. “To me, water is so important with Christianity. The church is an ark in the world.”
The interior of St. Francis of Assisi Church is photographed on Feb. 21 during a media tour at the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. Credit: Ryan Lim/AFP/Getty Images
The synagogue is the first purpose-built Jewish place of worship in the UAE and, like most synagogues around the world, is centered on Jerusalem. It is inspired by the Jewish festival of Sukkot, which is celebrated by building temporary shelters. An oculus in the ceiling of the room lets in direct light. “The afternoon light kisses the rabbi in the center very directly,” Adjaye said.
Members of the media visit the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue on a tour of the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 21. Credit: Ryan Lim/AFP/Getty Images
The Jewish community in the UAE had previously used makeshift synagogues.
While completely unique, each individual building is a 30-meter (98-foot) by 30-meter cube. The unifying design is intended to provide a common ground from which to foster tolerance and understanding, Adjaye said.