Abu Dhabi Day 1 - Qasr Al Watan and The Louvre

Qasr al Watan, or Palace of the Nation, is the Presidential Palace of the United Arab Emirates and is the first stop in Abu Dhabi. Construction was completed in 2017 and the palace was open to the public in 2019. He palace holds the offices of the President, Vice President, and Crown Prince of the UAE.

Qasr Al Watan

The façade of the palace is made of white marble and sandstone. In the center, you can see the dome of the Great Hall.

Qasr al Watan

Qasr Al Watan

The Great Hall incorporates Qasr Al Watan’s three signature colors: Blue, white and yellow. The blue represents the waters of the Arabian Gulf, the white stands for purity, while the yellow is inspired by the color of the desert sands.

Qasr Al Watan

Surrounding the Great Hall are Muqarnas, wich are a typical Islamic vaulted architecture.

Qasr al Watan

The Spirit of Collaboration Hall where entities such as the Federal Supreme Council, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council meet.

Qasr Al Watan

The chandelier in the Spirit of Collaboration Hall is made of 350,000 crystal pieces and weighs 12 tonnes. Inside it, there is a staircase and space for a maintenance worker.

Qasr Al Watan

The Al Bazra Hall is a meeting hall and can hold up to 300 guests. It is the second largest space in the palace, next to the Great Hall

On the palace grounds, there are three sculputres called the Power of Words, one of which is inside the and the other two are outside. The scuplptures were created by local artist Matar Bin Lahej. Each of the three sculputres is made from a phrase by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the UAE.

Phrase on the indoor sculpture: “Wealth is not money and oil. Wealth lies in people, and it is worthless if not dedicated to serve the people.”

Phrase on one of the outdoor sculptures: “Science and history walk side by side. By using science, man can record his history and preserve it for generations to come, so others may learn from it and come to know what their ancestors achieved.”

Phrase on the other outdoor sculpture: “The education of our people is a great wealth. We are proud of our educated nation because through knowledge and science we will open the horizon to a glorious future.”

The Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017 and rapidly became one of the most visited museums in the Arab world. It contains an impressive collection of ancient and modern art. Amongst the art, one of my all time favorite paintings: The Astronomer by Vermeer.