The moon’s journey across the Hijri calendar is being brought to life in a new five-minute light experience at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Called The Moon Has a Story… Told by Light, the visual display combines astronomy, Islamic heritage and the mosque’s distinctive architecture. It will be presented at the beginning of every Hijri month.

The experience begins with deep blue lighting, representing the start of the lunar month and the appearance of the crescent. The illumination gradually becomes brighter, reaching white at the full moon, before fading back to deep blue as the month comes to an end.

The display uses more than 840 lighting units and 22 lighting towers positioned around the mosque, creating changing patterns of light across its exterior.

Inspired by the Hijri calendar

The experience highlights the connection between the moon’s phases and the Islamic method of measuring months and time.

It also reflects the role astronomy has played in Islamic civilisation, translating that heritage into a contemporary visual spectacle.

The mosque’s existing lunar lighting system uses a specialised lunar clock to adjust the brightness of the exterior illumination every two days, mirroring the moon’s changing appearance throughout the Hijri month.

The new five-minute presentation condenses that month-long transformation into a short experience for visitors.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre said the initiative is part of its efforts to use visual arts to enhance visitors’ connection with Islamic culture and heritage while offering a new way to experience the mosque.