Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque illuminated arches reflecting pool, Abu Dhabi

A truly grand place

While it was really built just a few decades ago, there's no denying the old-world grandeur of this palatial exterior. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, built between 1994 and 2007, is a crowning achievement in modern Arabic architecture and the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates. Intended as a center for unity and education, the 30-acre complex boasts vast public libraries of not only Islamic scholarship but also works by scientists, artists, and others from across the globe. Inside, impossibly large décor abounds—including a German-made chandelier measuring 33 feet across and weighing 9 tons, and a 60,000-square-foot Iranian woven carpet containing more than 2 billion knots.