Being a Filipino family living in the United Arab Emirates, we try to learn as much about the country and its history. Thankfully, there are lots of places to visit in the city which promotes the country's culture and history. Last week, no thanks to our malfunctioning airconditioning at home, we went to see Qasr Al Hosn, a historic landmark in the city. What do you say, an impromptu field trip for my cheeky homeschoolers!
The Qasr Al Hosn recently opened again after it was closed to the public due to Covid19 restrictions. They have safety protocols in place, but since there were actually no people when we came, the kids and I practically had the place to ourselves. Entry to the Qasr Al Hosn is free for children while adults (18+) need to pay AED 30 (USD 8.15).
Qasr Al Hosn (palace fort) is the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi. It is located at Sheikh Rasheed Bin Saeed Al Maktoom Street (locally known as Airport Road). Over the years, Qasr Al Hosn has evolved, responding to the needs of its rulers and people.
The Qasr Al Hosn is now an important part of UAE's Cultural Foundation, the "home of Abu Dhabi's culture". Committed to the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan's vision the Cultural Foundation was formed to nurture the country's heritage and arts.
During this trip, we learned about the history of Abu Dhabi, UAE as it transformed within the walls of the fort. The fort was renovated several times and each time they perform detailed investigative works (historical sources, oral accounts, photographs, documents and drawings, etc.) and as they do, a lot is discovered to further understand its story.
Discovering "The Fort"
As we went up from the basement parking lot, we were welcomed by the sight of the vast grounds of the Qasr Al Hosn. The kids first wanted to check out the water. Though it was mid-day, the sun was bearable and it was also kind of breezy. A perfect way to get that much-needed sunshine.
Facing the Airport Road, the Cultural Foundation is on the right side. This is also where we used to hang out before the lockdown happened. Inside it is the Abu Dhabi Children's Library, my children's favorite place. :)
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Watchtower
The historic watchtower of the Qasr Al Hosn is a prominent landmark and is one that you would see first as you approach the place. It was constructed in the late 1700's and is said to have been built around the time following the relocation of the Bani Yas seat of rule from Liwa to Abu Dhabi.
The inner fort was completely rebuilt during the 1980's, but this historic watchtower was kept.
Did you know?
The builders of the watchtower used two units of length: the baa equal to the distance of a man's outstretched arms; and the qaama, which is the height of an average man.
The watchtower's prominent parts are important in many ways to protect the fort:
The Kashm or the iconic nose-shaped features protruding from the top part of the towers are used for pouring quicklime onto attackers.
Those on top are "Gun Slits"(marami) that enabled the guards to aim their rifle sights down onto their attackers.
The watchtower is made of coral stones from local coastal waters and palm wood. Carbon dating of the materials here dates to sometime between 1795 to 1805. The same was also confirmed by potteries found from layers above the bedrock.
Let's Get Inside the Qasr Al Hosn
This is the entrance to the Qasr Al Hosn. Immediately by the gate is the admissions office where you can buy the tickets. They currently support non-cash payments only. You can also buy tickets online.
As mentioned above, children below 18 years old can enter for free, while adults have to pay AED 30. School admissions are free and should you wish to come in a group (subject to prevailing safety protocols), you may contact them in advance for a schedule.
Inside is actually a museum which is divided into three sections - the first one shows the life of the early communities in Abu Dhabi, the second shows the "new era" and government as they progressed from pearling economy to the discovery of oil, and the third is a room which became part of the residence of the ruling family.
As we entered, there was a motion-triggered animation that was projected at the walls. It showed men riding their camels through the desert, portraying the Bani Yas people who explored the land.
This kind of sets the mood as we began to explore the exhibit.
While we were checking out the early tools and history of the people of the land, there was again a video that was projected on the screen. Honestly, I barely paid attention to it as I was busy reading through the captions posted next to the exhibits. At this point, I acknowledge that for a full experience, a guided tour is best.
The kids took turns checking out this "Mappa Mundi of Hajji Ahmed". It is a heart-shaped Turkish Map that is said to have been created around 1559. On the map is an inscription of the name "Ayas Arabs" or The Bani Yas which attests to the presence of the Bani Yas people at least as early as the mid-sixteenth century.
The next room focused on the rulers and the new chapter in the lives of the Bani Yas. They have on exhibit original artifacts, as well as replicas of the items owned by its early rulers.
Below are some items which belonged to the first ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan - his pocket watch, bisht (outer cloak), shal (shawl), and ceremonial dagger.
A Palace to the Royals
The Qasr Al Hosn was not only a place of work for the Ruler, but also home to the ruling family. This room shows some of the items owned by the Al Nahyan Family.
The Palace Grounds
The palace grounds was where most of the community meetings took place. Many events that shaped history happened here.
Every day, people came to Qasr Al Hosn to attend to the Ruler's Majlis. This was also where the community came together to celebrate feasts and prayer.
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The National Consultative Council Building
As we finished going around the palace grounds, we started to head back to the exit. We noticed a small building at the left side of the gate. The guard said we can also go there.
This building was constructed in 1968, supposedly to become the personal majlis (lounge) of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This building later on became the venue of ht inaugural session of the National Consultative Council in 1971. The location is highly symbolic, as it was the site where Sheikh Zayed's grandfather, Sheikh Zayed the First, held his council meetings in the shade of the fort walls.
This building became the venue of many historic occasions for the nation, including the early meetings of the Federal National Council following the formation of the United Arab Emirates.
Qasr Al Hosn stands proud in the heart of Abu Dhabi, a witness to the development of Abu Dhabi leading to what it is today.
It was nice to be able to come to this place and see a part of history right before our eyes. The children enjoyed seeing the artifacts, but given the chance, we may opt for a guided tour next time so that they will have a better understanding of what really transpired through history.
At present, the presidential palace is the Qasr Al Watan. They recently opened it to the public in 2017 and we had a chance to visit it last February. If Qasr Al Hosn shows the old, traditional side of Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Watan is quite the opposite. If you would like to see more of the rich Arabian Achitecture and extravagant designs, do check out my earlier post:
 | Qasr Al Watan - Presidential Palace, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
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Factual and historical information stated in this post were sourced from information taken from tour itself.
For more information about Qasr Al Watan, you may check out their website, https://qasralhosn.ae/en/discover.
All photos that appear in this article are my own.
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