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Abrahamic Family House

Coordinates: 24°31′51″N 54°24′22″E / 24.530933°N 54.406101°E / 24.530933; 54.406101
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Abrahamic Family House
بيت العائلة الإبراهيمية
Abrahamic Family House
Map
General information
LocationCultural District, Al Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi.
Town or cityAbu Dhabi
CountryUnited Arab Emirates
Coordinates24°31′51″N 54°24′22″E / 24.530933°N 54.406101°E / 24.530933; 54.406101
Construction started2019
Completed2023
Opened1 March 2023[1]
Inaugurated16 February 2023
Governing bodyHigher Committee of Human Fraternity
AffiliationImam Al-Tayeb Mosque
St. Francis Church
Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue
Technical details
Size82,882 sq ft (7,700.0 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)David Adjaye
Architecture firmAdjaye Associates
Other information
Public transit accessBus Route 94 (Bus Schedule)
Website
Official Website

The Abrahamic Family House (Arabic: بيت العائلة الإبراهيمية) is an interfaith complex on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. The undertaking was inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis on behalf of the Catholic Church and Ahmed El-Tayeb on behalf of the al-Azhar Mosque on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi. It houses the St. Francis Church, Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque and Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue in separate structures.[2][3][4]

The implementation of the project is supervised by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF).[5][6]

History

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The spiritual predecessor of this project was a tri-faith building envisioned by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat that was to be built at the base of Mt. Sinai. After his assassination, his successor Hosni Mubarak had also agreed to move forward with the project but never did.[7]

The project was announced by Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, on 5 February 2019 at a meeting of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity at the New York Public Library.[6][5][8]

It was officially inaugurated on 16 February 2023 by Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.[9][10]

Purpose

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Model of the site and its three main buildings

The Abrahamic Family House aims to serve as a community for inter-religious dialogue and exchange and be a physical manifestation of the Document on Human Fraternity.[8][11][6] It will provide learning resources as well as spaces for worship.[6]

The complex seeks to represent interfaith co-existence, preserves the unique character of the religions represented and build bridges between human civilization and the Abrahamic messages.[8][5][10]

Design

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The design of the Abrahamic Family House has been prepared by the award-winning architectural and design firm Adjaye Associates, headed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye,[12] who unveiled the plan of the project during a New York City event.[13][14]

The three cubic houses of worship sit upon a secular visitor pavilion,[13][14] and aim to represent the diverse worshippers, residents, and visitors of Abu Dhabi. Adjaye highlighted that he wanted to “create a building that starts to dissolve the notion of hierarchical difference – it should represent universality and totality – something higher, that enhances the richness of human life".[13][15] The design of this religious complex comprises three unaligned cubes sitting on a plinth, and each of them has a different orientation.[14] The silhouette of the building makes the cubes look unified, and each of them is illustrated with colonnades, screens and vaults.[14] The site also includes a cultural center that will promote the values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence while the unique character of each faith is preserved.[5]

The space's design is similar to that of the Tri-Faith Commons in the US.[16][1][17]

Naming of Church, Mosque, and Synagogue

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The three houses of worship have been named after the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Catholic friar St. Francis of Assisi, and the 12th century Jewish philosopher and rabbinical scholar Moses Ben Maimon – Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque, St. Francis Church, and Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, respectively.[18][19][10]

[edit]

The Abrahamic Family House inspired a symphony titled "Symphony of Three" composed by Ihab Darwish, John Debney and David Shire.[20] The symphonic performance commissioned and produced by Abu Dhabi Festival, and co-produced by Ihab Darwish, Zofia Jeziorna[21] and Robert Townson,[22] brought[23] together vocal ensembles, composers and musicians from Christian, Jewish and Muslim backgrounds to celebrate dialogue among different faiths.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Case Study: Omaha's Tri-Faith Commons Celebrates Diversity and Unity". Home - AIA KnowledgeNet. 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  2. ^ "Abrahamic House in UAE houses a church, synagogue and mosque". AP NEWS. 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  3. ^ "Jewish community praise 'beacon of light' UAE as Abrahamic Family House opens". Al Arabiya English. 2023-02-18. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  4. ^ "Abrahamic Family House - in pictures". The National. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  5. ^ a b c d "Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi to open in 2022 - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  6. ^ a b c d "Higher Committee of Human Fraternity unveils design for the Abrahamic Family House". Religion News Service. 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  7. ^ https://www.thetrumpet.com/literature/read/9189-the-way-of-peace-restored-momentarily/516
  8. ^ a b c "First images of Abu Dhabi's Abrahamic Family House under construction released". The National. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  9. ^ "Watch: Abrahamic Family House in UAE, interfaith compound opens in Abu Dhabi". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  10. ^ a b c Spiro, Amy. "UAE reveals progress on interfaith complex to house synagogue, mosque, church". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  11. ^ Nations, United. "International Day of Human Fraternity". United Nations. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  12. ^ Jalal, Maan (2022-10-26). "Sir David Adjaye says Abrahamic Family House celebrates the commonality between faiths". The National. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  13. ^ a b c "David Adjaye designs multifaith complex called The Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi". Dezeen. 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  14. ^ a b c d "david adjaye plans 'abrahamic family house' for abu dhabi". designboom | architecture & design magazine. 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  15. ^ "The Abrahamic Family House". Adjaye Associates. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  16. ^ "Hear Our Story". Tri-Faith. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  17. ^ "Abu Dhabi opens doors to Abrahamic Family House". www.tradearabia.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  18. ^ KT, Team. "UAE Abrahamic Family House: Names of mosque, church, synagogue announced". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  19. ^ "Abu Dhabi Reveals Names Of Mosque, Church, And Synagogue In Its Abrahamic Family House". Barpers Bazaar Arabia. June 16, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-18.
  20. ^ Saeed, Saeed (2023-01-06). "How the Abrahamic Family House inspired an epic symphony of peace, love and tolerance". The National. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  21. ^ "Abu Dhabi Festival to Host World Premiere of "Symphony of Three: Peace, Love, Tolerance" by Emirati Composer Ihab Darwish on December 30th". www.abudhabipr.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  22. ^ Agha, Khaled (2022-10-19). "World's first inter-faith symphony brings together renowned American and Emirati composers to celebrate unity and peace". Khaled Agha. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  23. ^ "The Abrahamic Symphony | Robert Townson Productions". roberttownson-productions.com/. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  24. ^ Bedirian, Razmig (2023-03-19). "Abu Dhabi Festival Award 2023 honours composers behind Symphony of Three". The National. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
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