As soon as Mouza al Mansoori heard about the opportunity to be a cultural guide at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, she knew it was the perfect role. Five months into the job, she loves sharing her country and her culture with visitors from around the world.
Sitting on the ornate carpet in the main prayer room of the Grand Mosque, there’s no wondering what attracted Mouza to her job. “I was studying to become a project manager when I learned about this position. I thought it would be perfect for my personality, so as soon as I got my diploma, I joined the team,” says the soft-spoken mother of three.
At first glance, some people have been prompted to ask why so much money has been spent on this spectacular edifice, but Mouza understands the wisdom behind the late president’s vision.
“Sheikh Zayed was responsible for building institutes, schools and mosques all around the world, but he wanted to build a landmark in his own country where everyone could come to see our religion and culture – he thought there could be no better landmark than a house of God. Although, still under construction, this mosque will be a place of worship, education and gathering for not only the community but for all who visit the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”
These days, cultural guides like Mouza are carrying on Sheikh Zayed’s mission. Here’s a typical day for this passionate Emirati.
4am: Like many Muslims, Mouza wakes up twice a day. “I first wake up for the early morning Fajr prayer, then I go back to sleep until 8am when I take my shower, I get dressed and I come to work.”
10am: The first public tour of the day begins. After a stroll around the exterior grounds, Mouza leads her group inside, first through the women’s prayer room and then into the main men’s room, pointing out facts and answering questions along the way.
“Between the hands of God we are all equal, whether company director or cleaners, so we are always touching shoulder to shoulder and feet to feet when we pray. The prayer procedure is the same for men and women, so here in the mosque women and men will have their own prayer halls, this way they can be comfortable and focused on performing prayers standing shoulder to shoulder.”
11am: After finishing her first tour, Mouza sits down with her friends and fellow guides for additional training and to discuss the questions that visitors asked them that day. “It’s good to know the questions people are asking so we can be prepared to answer anything.”
While some of the questions she’s heard are a little comical, Mouza always invites visitors to ask whatever they want. “People have asked me, 'when you come to work, where do you leave your camel?' I have to tell them, 'there’s no parking for the camels here'.”
12pm: Home for the afternoon, Mouza launches into one of her favourite past times. “I love to cook. My final project for my diploma was a cookbook. Abu Dhabi Delights is a book of traditional Arabian recipes that my group and I wrote together.”
4pm: Mouza spends the afternoon playing with her children or visiting friends. “If I have an afternoon shift, I’ll come back to the mosque and do another tour at 5pm. There used to only be one tour a day, but when it’s not Ramadan we have two tours a day. Insh’allah (God willing), I hope we will be able to increase the number of tours to four per day.”
8pm: Done for the day, Mouza returns home to cook another meal and spend time with her family, although she recommends seeing the mosque at night. “During the evening, the mosque looks the amazing lit up with all the lights – it’s a different experience.”
Final thoughts: “As guides, our job is to help visitors appreciate the architecture of the mosque, our culture and religion. We answer questions on everything from culture to lifestyle and people are always so happy to be able to have an Emirati to guide them. I think the visitors are always so surprised at how relaxed and informative our tours are and we are proud to serve them.”
You can pick up Mouza’s cookbook Abu Dhabi Delights at the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute. For more information, go to www.veti.ac.ae or call 800 8600
Visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque for a self-tour from 9am to noon every day except Friday or go along for the free guided tour. During Ramadan, the hour-long guided tours are held at 11am every day except Friday.
Throughout the Holy month, visitors to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque will receive a commemorative complimentary pack of Ramadan focused postcards, produced by ADTA.
Please remember to dress conservatively when visiting Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. For more information, call 800 555
