by SULTAN SOOUD AL-QASSEMI
Nestled in one of Bur Dubai’s older districts is one of the emirate’s best kept architectural secrets: the Ismaili Centre of Dubai. It is a 13,000-square-meter structure designed by the Egyptian duo Rami El Dahan and Soheir Farid, who drew inspiration from Cairo’s Fatimid mosques.
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The architecture is an amalgamation of everything that is beautiful in Islam. From the outside, honeycombs of amber and limestone embrace the building. The sun’s shadow creates ever-changing patterns that merge in and out of each other as the day proceeds. The tranquil sounds of the fountains soothe the soul as one wanders around, admiring the antique Islamic artifacts on display. The building is crowned by a magnificent Ibn Tulun Mosque-like dome, not too different from the one above the Museum of Islamic Arts in Doha. The Morning Prayer Hall courtyard features a salsabil, or paradise water fountain, as its centerpiece, while the main garden is inlaid with a network of small water canals connected to a central fountain.
The Huffington Post for more
(Thanks to reader)