ABU DHABI 2014 – Nightsky's trip to the capital of UAE

DOWNTOWN ABU DHABI


Abu Dhabi's downtown is very modern with supertall skyscrapers, palaces, luxury hotels, malls and restaurant. Corniche Road is a long and beautiful road parallel to downtown situated along the shoreline of Corniche Lake. Our small tour bus from Dubai drew fastly through Cornjche Road without stopping, so I tried to make as many snapshots as possible to capture streets and architecture, but without really doing downtown justice.




Corniche Park, The Landmark (324m, 2013), WTC (background), Baynunah Hilton Tower (165m, tallest 1994-2002), seen from Corniche Road.




Capital Plaza from 2011 is a mixed use complex with offices, hotel (Sofitel) and residences. The postmodern/art deco architecture of the tallest tower resembles Empire State Building in New York.


ADNOC Headquarters (342m, u/c, expected completion in 2014) Etihad Towers (five towers from 2011 up to 305m)


Etihad Towers, five glass towers from 2011 with hotels and offices. The tallest one is Tower2, 305m tall with 77 floors and an observation deck on the 75th floor. Tower 1 has a Jumeirah hotel. The bronze glass highrise to the right is Bab Al Qasr Hotel, under construction.







Nation Towers has the world's highest pedestrian bridge, even higher then the one at Petronas Towers, our guide told us. There is also a helicopter platform on the top of one of the towers. To the right is Hilton hotel, today one of the oldest modern buildings in Abu Dhabi.



You can read more and watch tons of pics from Downtown Abu Dhabi on the link below:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Abu_Dhabi.html

HERITAGE VILLAGE:

During our half day Abu Dhabi tour, the guide made a brief stop to Heritage Village, in the Marina area, opposite Downtown and just next to Lake Corniche. Just like Dubai's Heritage Village, this is a tourist attraction explaining the early life of the UAE and Abu Dhabi, before the discovery of oil in 1958. Only 50 years ago, Abu Dhabi was a small pearl fishing village with just a few houses. Heritage Village contians small museums, ships, shops, sculptures, photography and other stuff telling histories inside small clay houses in old Middle Eastern style. There is a nice beach just next to Hertiage Village, opposite Downtown.






Abu Dhabi in the 2960s, just a small village with small simple houses and almost no roads. Today the city has about 1 million inhabitants, wide highways, large malls and supertall skyscrapers.




An honour to Sheikh Zayed


Traditional Arabian architecture in Abu Dhabi's Heritage Village, that is actually smaller then Dubai's village, but more well visited.










There are many palms and tourists in Abu Dhabi's Heritage Village, one of the few places with historical connection and old buildings in the city.


Ship and beach of Heritage Village in front of the luxury "7 star" hotel Emirates Palace.

Thanks!

MORE OF DOWNTOWN AND SKYLINE:








Corniche Road shoreline and Capital Plaza in the middle




The skyline of Downtown Abu Dhabi seen from Heritage Village, from the left: Capital Plaza (complex in the distance), ADIA Tower (185m, tallest 2006, The Landmark (324m, 2013), World Trade Center Residences (381m, 2014), Baynunah Hilton Tower (165m, tallest 1994), WTC Trust Tower (278m, 2013). To the far right is Al Ain Tower (49 floors, 2011). In the front is Corniche Road and the beachfront.

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Abu_Dhabi_Downtown.html

SHEIKH ZAYED MOSQUE:

This mosque is the biggest attraction in Abu Dhabi. It is the biggest and by far most impressive mosque in the United Arab Emirates, even Dubai is promoting itself with this building. This beautiful building might look like an ancient palace, a bit like Taj Mahal, but the buildings was completed as late as in 2008. It is located in the Southeast outskirts of Abu Dhabi. It is one of very few mosques that can be visited by tourists in the UAE. The building was constructed from materials from around the world to "unite the world", for example China, Italy and New Zealand. There is also information on different languages. The world's 3rd largest chandelier is located inside, as well as the world's largest carpet.
















The 3rd largest chandelier in the world, and the largest inside a mosque, was imported from Germany and has Swarovski crystals.





Blueish and black cloud shadows at the cupolas on top. At night projections of clouds reflect the phase of the moon, thanks to an advanced lighting system.

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Abu_Dhabi_Sheikhzayed.html

ABU DHABI NORTHEAST PART:

This part is about the North and East outskirts of Abu Dhabi, that we approached when arriving on the highway from Dubai. From the window of the tour van we saw the leaning tower Capital Gate, some Royal palaces, the skyline, some mosques and the popular futuristic tourist destination Yas Island.


Yas Island, a man-made island in the oustkirts of Abu Dhabi that has become a popular holiday destination. The curvy white structure is the Yas Hotel. This is where you find the famous race track, builtaround the complex. You can also see some yachts, the water is not visible from this angle though. This is also where you find the famous indoor theme park Ferrari World.


Hyatt Capital Gate is the world's most leaning tower (even more then the one in Pisa!). This deconstructivist mixed use skyscraper, built at the Abu Dhabi Natioal Exhibition Center, was built in 2010 and is 160m tall. It has a diagrid design, diagonal triangular structures.




Aldar HQ Bldg, the "Coin building", was completed in 2010. With its circular, flat shape this glass office building resembles a coin. It is 110m tall. It is the first circular building in the Middle East and has been voted "best futuristic design".


Branches of the Guggenheim and Louvre museums are planned to be built here


The only oil refinery we saw!


Al Maktoum Bridge


Several mosques in the outskirts

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A building belonging to the Royal family


The desert highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi


The roads are perfect, almost utopian, in the area where many of the Royal complexes and embassies are situated, close to downtown.

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Abu_Dhabi_NE.html

FERRARI WORLD:

Ferrari World on Yas Island is the world's largest indoor theme park. It was opened in November 2010. Our guide drove us there so we could stop and take some pictures. Unfortunately we weren't able to take a ride in the world's fastest rollercoaster, designed like Ferrari cars! There is also other attractions, and a museum of rare Ferrari cars inside. It covers an area of 200 000 m².














Formula Rossa, the world's fastest roller coaster, designed like Ferrari supercars!





http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Abu_Dhabi_Ferrari.html

^^Thanks! :lol:

MARINA, EMIRATES PALACE, PRESIDENTIAL PALACE:

Ferrari World on Yas Island is the world's largest indoor theme park. It was opened in November 2010. Our guide drove us there so we could stop and take some pictures. Unfortunately we weren't able to take a ride in the world's fastest rollercoaster, designed like Ferrari cars! There is also other attractions, and a museum of rare Ferrari cars inside. It covers an area of 200 000 m².


The flagpole is the second tallest in the world (world's tallest before a pole in Baku was completed in 2007). It is 122m tall and was rised to mark the nation's 30th national day in 2001.


The Presidential Palace, under construction during our visit in 2014, is planned to be the largest and most expensive residential building in the world. It is expected to cost $490 000 000! It will be located at the sea, right next to the Emirates Palace. The complex consist of a main palace, smaller palaces, villas and other buildings.




The Emirates Palace Hotel. A visit to this "7 star" (officially 5 star) hotel was planned initially, but had to be cancelled because the Royal family was visiting the hotel during our stay in Abu Dhabi! The hotel opened in 2005.






A theater in Middle Eastern style, is situated at the edge of the peninsula next to Heritage Village.


The world's highest skybridge at Nation Towers


Our tour van, parked at Corniche Road.

Thanks!


Corniche Road at Al Marina, Marina Mall and Marina Mall Tower


Marina Mall with its over 400 stores and the 100m tall Marina Mall Tower.




Marina Mall


Etihad Towers and Bab Al Qasr Hotel

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Abu_Dhabi_Marina.html