On Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates unveiled “Abrahamic Family House,” an interfaith complex featuring a mosque, church and what is believed to be the Gulf Arab state’s first ever purpose-built synagogue.
The Architectural Features of the Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque, His Holiness Francis Church, and the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue
David Adjaye, renowned Ghanaian-British architect, designed this project to incorporate several architectural styles found in mosques, churches and synagogues worldwide.
Drawing inspiration from all three Abrahamic faiths, it seeks to highlight their similarities.
The Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque, named for the Grand Imam of Al Azhar and considered to be the foremost authority on Sunni Islam, faces Mecca. Its windows are made up of intricate latticework called mashrabiya, which allows airflow while controlling light levels and providing privacy.
“All these projects showcase light filtering and splitting,” Adjaye told CNN’s Becky Anderson. “In the Mosque… there’s an aura of brightness surrounding you until you reach silence and stoicism as you face Mecca,” he continued.
Significance of Abrahamic Family House in Fostering Tolerance and Understanding
His Holiness Francis Church is dedicated to the 13th century monk St. Francis of Assisi, after whom the current Catholic pope is named. It stands facing east towards the rising sun and features a wooden ceiling meant to evoke Noah’s Ark from both Biblical and Quranic stories.
Adjaye lamented, “When you enter a church, you hear the sound of rushing water.” For him, water is so central to Christianity; the church serves as an ark in our world.”
The Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue is named in honor of Rabbi Maimonides, a 12th century Jewish philosopher and medical doctor who led the Mediterranean Jewish world and treated Saladin, Muslim ruler of Egypt and Syria.
The synagogue is the UAE’s first purpose-built Jewish place of worship and, like most synagogues around the world, faces Jerusalem. It was inspired by Sukkot, an annual festival celebrated with temporary shelters. An oculus in the ceiling allows natural light into the space; “the light of midday kisses the rabbi in the center very directly,” Adjaye remarked.
Adjaye explained that the Jewish community in the UAE had previously relied on makeshift synagogues. Each building is uniquely designed, each measuring 30 meters (98 feet) by 30 meters, providing a unifying base from which tolerance and understanding can be fostered. This common design serves to establish an atmosphere conducive to learning for everyone involved.
