Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi : the Emirates commit to religious tolerance and coexistence
The Abrahamic Family House: a religious and tourist complex financed by the Emirates
Since its inauguration in February 2023, Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island has been home to a curious 6,500 m2 complex. This is the Abrahamic Family House, designed by renowned architect Sir David Adjaye, whose work includes the Wall Street Tower in New York and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington.
Built in the wake of the declaration on “human fraternity for world peace and living together” by Pope Francis and the Imam of Cairo's al-Azhar Islamic University, Ahmad al-Tayeb, visiting the Emirates on February 24, 2019, the site houses a mosque, a church and a synagogue, designed to accommodate the three faiths.
Each building bears the name of a historical figure linked to inter-religious dialogue and coexistence: Saint Francis of Assisi (whose heritage the pontiff claims), MosesBen Maimon (Maimonides) and Ahmad al-Tayeb. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order of preachers in 13th-century Italy, had been sent as ambassador to the Egyptian sultan Al-Kâmil in Damietta.
Maimonides, the Cordoban- born theologian and metaphysician who wrote the Mishné Torah code ofJewish law, enriched his philosophical development by reading the Muslim commentators on Aristotle.
Entirely financed by the Emirate, the cost of the project is being kept secret. Located not far from the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, it is part of the country's cultural and tourism development drive, launched in the 2010s and accelerated by the Abraham Accords.
Since their signing in August 2020, almost 500,000 Israeli tourists have visited the country, and an estimated 2,000 Jewish expatriates have joined the ranks of Abu Dhabi's 80% foreign population. Since its opening to the public, the Abrahamic Family House has become one of the Emirati capital's main tourist attractions.
A bold, reconciliatory architectural challenge
Built to the same height and volume to "erase hierarchical difference", according to the architect, the three buildings represent unity in diversity. Their design "draws on the commonalities between the three faiths, emphasizing similarities rather than differences".
While the style and materials used are resolutely modern (wood, limestone, concrete, bronze), they echo traditional codes in terms of geographical orientation, forms and religious symbols. Facing east with the rising sun, symbol of the Resurrection, the church of Saint Francis pays homage, through its minimalistand the extreme simplicity of its crucifix and furniture in oak or marble, to the pared-back simplicity advocated by the Saint of Assisi. Only the altar is inspired by that of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, a bold nod to the Eternal City's heritage.
Looking towards Jerusalem, the Maimonides synagogue can accommodate both Ashkenazi and Sephardic worship. The Ark of the Covenant is represented by a bronze curtain, inspired as much by a succah as by a chuppah, while the façade's crossed columns also suggest a prayer tent.
Facing Mecca, the Ahmad al-Tayeb Mosque has no minaret, but features vaulted ceilings and columns, as well as numerous mashrabiya motifs, highly prized in Islamic architecture. Its façade is pierced by seven arches, a symbolic number in allthree monotheisms.
The three places of worship surround a garden that gives pride of place to air and water, "elements of the Creation". A research and archive center and a library also host events and symposiums. As its website explains, the Abrahamic Family House is dedicated to supporting and promoting "the rich history of interreligious exchanges", from a cultural, cultic and intellectual perspective.
An example for the recognition of religious minorities in the region ?
In a region where Islam is the majority religion (with the exception of Israel), freedomof worship is only openly recognized in the multi-faith state of Lebanon, the kingdom of Morocco or democracies such as the Hebrew State or Turkey. Islam as a religion and state legal system remains the norm and restricts freedom of religion or even prohibit other monotheisms.
In the Middle East, Judaism and Christianity do not enjoy the same status, depending on the political relationship with Israel or the Vatican. Religious minorities (virtually non-existent in some States) are therefore fighting for their survival, when they are not instrumentalized by the ruling authorities.
The socio-economic dynamics at work in the Gulf are the result of an awareness on thepart of its leaders: the end of the oil era calls for the deployment of a new economy focused on innovation and the need to speak a common language.
This is precisely the turning point that the United Arab Emirates have been observing for the past fifteen years, fully committed to a logic of virtuous cooperation, the benefits of which are not limited to the glittering buildings of Dubai. While Islam accounts for 75% of the population, only 10% are Emirati nationals.
A mosaic of diverse ethnicities, communities and minorities thus contribute to the country's dynamism. By normalizing its relations with Israel, the federation is deliberately embracing this horizon of peace and the possibility of writing a new narrative, which also involves recognizing the other descendants of Abraham and their respective contributions to pre-Islamic history.
The UAE Ministry of Tolerance, created in 2017, added Coexistence to its portfolio in 2020, to reinforce, among other things, the latter's supportive role infavor of economic growth. Unthinkable three decades ago, the Abrahamic Family House is tangible proof that coexistence continues to be written, built and lived in the Arab-Persian Peninsula.
Sources :
https://www.abrahamicfamilyhouse.ae/about-us
https://www.adjaye.com/work/the-abrahamic-family-house/
Further information :
https://www.abramundi.org/post/house-of-one
https://www.abramundi.org/post/preserving-jewish-heritage-in-morocco
https://www.abramundi.org/post/audacious-hope-for-human-fraternity
