On the rim of Saadiyat Island, seated just offshore, nudging into the Gulf of Hormuz, is an oddity. What looks to be a metal tortoise shell sits on the water. In comparison to some of the other buildings in Abu Dhabi, this seems mundane, but beneath its massive 7,500-ton dome is the convergence of a world's worth of human history and treasures. The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a marvel, not just for its ambitious design but for providing space to admire human artwork from across the globe. From arrowheads of time immemorial to the classical masterpieces that inspire so many and the modern artwork that challenges our conceptions of what art is, the Louver Abu Dhabi has something for each person to admire. You pass through its 23 galleries as if you are traveling through time.
    Starting with the earliest preserved artifacts of mankind's creativity, you see the religious desire of humanity on display, as some of the oldest pieces to survive are religious idols. You progress down the timeline of history, visiting the statue of Ramses II, peering at the sarcophagus of a pharaoh's daughter, and admiring the ancient jewelry from the Indus Valley. As you look around, you see busts of Socrates and the Buddha, statues of the Greek goddess Athena, metal sculptures of Chinese dragons, so many marvelous handiworks that it can be overwhelming to take it all in. At various points, I had to take a second and think, “How is it possible that I’m seeing all of this in one place?” You move through the periods of the Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Chinese dynasties, and the early Muslim Caliphates, taking a brief look at the impressive works of each era. You progess into the Renaissance era and see classical paintings and sculptures on all sides. Following the flow of history you find pieces from Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Manet, and Degas; so many works you may have only read about in books and seen online. Now you are mere feet, even inches away from such renowned pieces. Once you have passed the Impressionists, you finish at the building for Modern art. The current pieces and works added to the artistic canon representing our current creative work and styles of the time. In total the sculptures, paintings, bowls, armor, and tapestries are all from a world that has already raged on. Now you can appreciate more of the creativity that has survived as most other pieces of our past have faded away. 
    In a space like this, you hardly feel time pass. Each piece of work occupies a new space in your mind and captures some portion of your imagination that had been heretofore untapped. The world's history, culture, and peoples meet here. Not just in their artwork but in the visitors who come from the world-over and experience a walk through the marvels of our common creative history.