President Rumen Radev (C) being briefed about the history of the Grand Mosque.

He was accompanied by Sultan Rashid Sultan Alkaitoob, UAE Ambassador to Bulgaria, and a delegate of senior Bulgarian officials.

Dr Yousif Al Obaidli, Director-General of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, accompanied the Bulgarian president and the delegation on a tour of the mosque's halls and external corridors.

During the tour, they were briefed by one of the centre's cultural tour specialists about Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque's noble message that underscores notions of coexistence, tolerance, and openness to the cultures, emanating from the nation's late founder's rich legacy.

They also learned about the mosque's history, components, and esthetic features of Islamic art and architecture that manifest in every corner of this grand edifice, which create a mesmerising fusion of various architectural styles from different eras reflecting commonalities amongst cultures and uniting the world through art.

At the end of the visit, the guest was presented with two of the centre's distinctive publications.

The first is titled "Spaces of Light," showcasing the winning photographs in the "Spaces of Light" photography award, annually organised by the centre to celebrate the mosque's scenic aesthetics and visual culture.

The other is a copy of a book titled "Houses of God" about places of worship in Islamic history, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Earlier, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Rumen Georgiev Radev, who is on a working visit to the UAE.

During the reception, which took place at the Qasr Al Shati' Palace, Sheikh Mohamed expressed his hope that this visit would contribute to opening fresh prospects for consolidating the relations between the two countries in all fields for the higher good of their peoples.

The two presidents explored avenues of cooperation between the UAE and Bulgaria, notably in the economic, investment, development and environment fields, as well as in areas of renewable energy and food security, which are all major drivers of sustainable development in the two nations.

They also exchanged views on the latest regional and global developments as well as issues of interest, stressing in this regard the importance of strengthening dialogue, and constructive endeavours to develop peaceful solutions to conflicts and crises in some regions of the world, in a way that helps the peoples of the world realise their ambitions for peace, development and prosperity and promotes regional and global security and stability.

WAM