It was interesting to visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi and Wilfred Thesiger exhibition in Al Ain on a trip from Oman.
Although completely different in design, the chandelier is from Faustig who supplied the magnificent ones for the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Almost overflowing with floral designs, the mosque sits opposite the old tower at Maqta which, some 50 years ago, guarded the ford to the island of Abu Dhabi .
Images of Maqta tower and the ford are included in an atmospheric galley in Al Jahili Fort Al Ain of photos by Wilfred Thesiger.
The visits Thesiger made to Oman’s deserts, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the late 1940s were recorded with ‘black and white’ photography. His travelling guides and companions, bin Kabina and bin Gabisha, are a focus of the images in the gallery along with Sheikh Zayed.The gallery, with its natural earth tones and simple design, reflect Thesiger’s own yearning for austerity and focuses the visitor’s attention on the evocative images of his travels.
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