The ornate Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is so spectacular that more than 400,000 devout worshippers make the pilgrimage to Abu Dhabi to pray during the annual Eid celebrations . And British photographer Julian John is equally as captivated by the incredible interiors of the biggest mosque in the Middle East . Now living abroad , John visits the intricately designed prayer halls as frequently as possible to snap photographs of what he believes to be 'the jewel in the United Arab Emirates ' crown . ' Scroll down for video . The breathtaking Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque , in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates , is the biggest in the Middle East . British amateur photographer Julian John has long been fascinated with the impressive structure and its incredible interiors . Teaching assistant Julian , originally from Brighton , Sussex , but living in the UAE capital for the last four years , is planning an exhibition of his epic photos . Julian said : 'For me , it is the Jewel in the United Arab Emirates ' crown . 'It has been described as a masterpiece of Islamic architecture and is truly a modern wonder of the world . 'It is beautiful and serene and the attention to detail is breathtaking with craftsmen from all around the world instrumental in making it so spectacular . ' Calling the Grand Mosque the 'jewel in the United Arab Emirates ' crown , ' John has been snapping photos of it for four years . While the interiors are beautiful , the courtyard is a sight to be seen in and of itself , featuring the world 's largest marble mosaic . As well as the stunning courtyard , which features the largest marble mosaic in the world at 180,000 square feet , Julian has also snapped the impressive exterior . The four 350-ft tall minarets , which can be seen across the Abu Dhabi skyline , are lit up in dramatic style against the cloudy skies in one of the photographer 's incredible shots . Julian , who uses a Nikon D800 camera with Nikon 24-70mm and the Tamron 70-200mm lenses , was inspired to take up his hobby four years ago when he first moved to the Middle East . He has since set up a photography class at the international school where he works . The mosque 's four 350-ft tall minarets , another of John 's favourite features , look incredible lit up along the Abu Dhabi skyline . 'There are so many photographic opportunities that you 're almost spoiled for choice , ' the amateur photographer and teacher explains . The gorgeous structure took almost 10 years to build - and more than 30,000 workers - and was only completed in 2007 . Julian said : 'There are so many aspects to the Grand Mosque from stunning interiors to domes and minarets and fountains to the beautiful pillars with inlaid flowers . 'There are so many photographic opportunities that you are almost spoiled for choice . 'As long as I live in Abu Dhabi , I will always visit the Grand Mosque and continue to photograph it . ' The towering structure took almost 10 years to build with more than 30,000 workers starting work on the site in 1996 . It was not completed until seven years after the millennium in 2007 .
The largest mosque in the Middle East , the Grand Mosque in Abu ##dh is as stunning on the inside as the outside . Amateur British photographer sultan sultan visits the prayer halls as often as he can to capture their ornate beauty . The impressive structure took almost 10 years to build and over 300 visitors , only reaching completion in 2005 .