Watch: Stunning time-lapse video shows Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque like you've never seen it before

By Sana Panjwani

While Dubai may be often confused as the capital of the United Arab Emirates due to its long-standing reputation as a city of abundance, opulence and glamor, Abu Dhabi truly stands out as the country’s crowning jewel in this 2.5 minute time-lapse video of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque showcasing this iconic structure in all its grandeur.

Shot and produced by filmmaker Beno Saradzic, who has been based in the UAE since 1991, “The Voyage” encompasses the remarkable beauty and grandiose associated with the mosque. Cleverly mixing color and monochrome to highlight the delicate features of the landmark mosque, Saradzic’s stunning video is set against a hauntingly beautiful score titled ‘A Late Night’s Wandering’ and presents the mosque from varied vantage points taken at different times of the day and year. It is also the winner of the annual Spaces of Light competition’s time-lapse category, hosted by the mosque’s management team.

Saradzic began filming in January, using a technique called motion-controlled time-lapse photography which consists of taking pictures every 5 seconds from slightly different positions in order to create sweeping visual sequences.

“Technology’s unstoppable march isn’t sparing anyone. Filmmakers know this better than most,” said Saradzic. “They need to stay updated or risk becoming dinosaurs, forgotten in time. All the latest advances in light capturing technology are impressive and astounding, but they don’t necessarily lead to making better films. They can in fact be blinding to the art of filmmaking. Good tools are definitely needed to make good films but if they aren’t powered by the subtle craft of the person using them, they are left soulless.

Of the 20,000+ shots taken, Saradzic states that only around 4,000 made the cut. He describes the final footage as being a “heightened state of reality … For example, you see the shadows moving, the 12-tonne chandelier in the centre of the mosque swaying, and the light dancing across the screen. The technique renders the invisible parts of the world visible.”

“As a filmmaker, I always need to hone my craft and experiment with latest techniques to improve myself and see what I am capable of,” said Saradzic. “Motion-controlled time-lapse photography has a surreal effect – it highlights the things that happen too slowly to notice with the naked eye.”

Saradzic is a Slovenian born time-lapse cinematographer, photographer and visual artist who previously created another time-lapse video based in Abu Dhabi between December 2013 and February 2014, under commission by the Abu Dhabi General Secretariat of the Executive Council to promote its attractions. Using 28 locations, the film highlighted Abu Dhabi’s malls, hotels, university campuses and Yas and Al Maryah Islands.

Saradzic’s interest in the mosque stems from his first visit in 2003 when he was commissioned to create 50 architectural renderings of the site. The mosque was in construction from 1996 till 2007 and is the largest mosque in the UAE, measuring approximately 290m by 420m. It was initiated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in an effort to establish a structure which unites the cultural diversity in the Islamic world by incorporating historical and modern values of architecture and art. Recently, the mosque was named the fourth best landmark in the world in TripAdvisor’s “Traveler’s Choice” Awards. The mosque features 82 white domes with the exteriors made of Greek and Italian marble while the interiors are decorated with Islamic calligraphy.

The “Spaces of Light” competition encourages applicants to “express their own relationship to this monumental place and convey it through their own eyes”.

“In Abu Dhabi, it is the only one true landmark as far as I’m concerned,” said Saradzic while filming the mosque. “It is an architectural object of immense proportions, with unbelievable finishes, and what makes it even more unique is that it is one of the few mosques in the world where photography is permitted for all visitors. This is in the greater spirit of openness and tolerance that Abu Dhabi stands for.”