Abu Dhabi combines mosque, synagogue and church as an architectural symbol of coexistence

The Abrahamic Family House, the United Arab Emirates’ new interfaith complex, opens to the public in Abu Dhabi.

The Abrahamic Family House, a trio of cubic buildings, stands on Saadiyat Island, the cultural district of the United Arab Emirates’ capital of Abu Dhabi. Beside the waters of the Arabian Gulf, the three edifices comprise a synagogue, an mosque and a Catholic church, all designed by British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye. They are titled, respectively, the His Holiness Francis Church, the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, and the Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque – and together form an interfaith complex.

The Abrahamic Family House comprises a plinth-like one-storey pavilion, with a welcoming forum at its core, and the three houses of worship set atop this. The equal volumes of the three houses are meant to reflect a clear visual and metaphorical harmony among the three spaces and, ultimately, the three religions. 

Each house, for example, is orientated differently to meet the faith’s requirements for seating and direction of prayer.

The interfaith complex reflects the UAE’s push towards cultural and inter-religious tolerance. The Abrahamic Family House, which was announced in 2019 during the country’s 'Year of Tolerance', welcomed its first worshippers on February 17, with the inaugural Friday prayer at the Imam Al-Tayed Mosque. On February 19, the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue and His Holiness Francis Church held their first services.

'I believe architecture should work to enshrine the kind of world we want to live in, a world of acceptance, openness, and constant advancement,’ Adjaye said. ‘As an architect, I want to create a building that starts to rise above the notion of hierarchical difference and enhances the richness of human life. Our hope is that through these buildings that celebrate three distinct religions, people of all faiths and from across society can learn and engage in a mission of peaceful coexistence for generations to come.'

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Abrahamic Family House: an architectural symbol of coexistence  (Wallpaper)
The Abrahamic Family House, the United Arab Emirates’ new interfaith complex, opens to the public in Abu Dhabi