David Gabis Photography Blog

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.  This is the third biggest worldwide after the ones in Mecca and Medina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  It is named after the founder and first President of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al  NAHYAN (his last resting place). He chose the location and influence the design and architecture of the building. He wanted it visible from all directions and for this the mosque was built with the rise of 9,5 meters above the street level and 11 meters above sea level. The complex cover an area of 22,412 square meters, the Four Minarets rise about 107 meters, the courtyard measures about 17,000 square meters and it is considered to be the largest example of marble mosaic in the world. The mosque was finished wit a decoration of Greek and Italian white marble, which is considered to be among the purest of the world. Major internation...

The Clock Tower of Cape town in Yellow The three-storeyed Clock Tower (originally red) with its pointed Gothic windows is a landmark in Cape tow. It was the first port Captain's office, o nce completed in 1882. The clock was imported from Edinburgh. It was painted in yellow for the Cape Town Design Capital in 2014. A tidal gauge mechanism was located in the ground floor and was indicating the exact height of the tide at any given time for the benefit of the ships entering or leaving the docks. The Port Captain had an overview of harbor activities at the top floor as it was lined with mirrors. The restoration took two years (from 1997 to 98) and was a focal point in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront's urban renewal. Over the years the building has begun to lean slightly about 50mm. A set of brass pins has been inserted in the brickwork to ensure that any movement can be spotted.