Name and design
Burj is Arabic for tower, Khalifa referring to Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates. The tower was originally to be called simply Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower), but after the sheikh assisted the Emirate of Dubai in financial difficulties, the skyscraper was renamed in his honor. The Burj Khalifa was modeled after the Hymenocallis plant, which thrives in the Emirates desert. The architecture of the building reduces wind resistance and allows a panoramic view for all visitors. Stable height
The skyscraper was built between 2004 and 2009 by over 12,000 workers from over 100 countries. The building is so tall that it takes the window washers four months to do an entire pass from top to bottom! All skyscrapers move back and forth a bit with the wind. However, clever design by the architects and wind tunnel testing ensure that the movement inside is barely noticeable except for slight noise.The interior of the tower
There are 57 elevators and 8 escalators in the Burj Khalifa, ensuring easy movement through the building for guests and residents. The double-deck elevators can hold between 12 and 14 people and travel at about 32ft (10m) per second, making them among the fastest in the world. The stairs are not open to visitors, but climbing the 2,909 steps from the ground to the 160th floor would be a strenuous task. The difference in outside temperature between the top and the first floor can be as much as 6° C. The Burj Khalifa is also designed to withstand Dubai's extreme climate: Glass panels protect the tower from the sun's intense rays.Different sun angles
The sun sets about 3 minutes later at the top near the top than at the bottom. Above the 80th floor, fasting during Ramadan should therefore be 2 minutes longer. Above the 150th floor, the extension time is 3 minutes. As a guest, you can try to see two sunsets in one evening: one from below and one from above.