Know your UAE
Have you visited Al Jahili
Fort in Al Ain?
T
here are many hidden gems
in the Garden City (Al Ain).
Both Emiratis and expatriates
have explored some of these
hidden treasures. Despite this, there
are a handful that remain known only in
name to many of us. Al Jahili Fort may
just be one of those places.
The spacious property is located in
the south-eastern section of the Al Ain
City, near the Al Ain Palace Museum,
another treasure worth exploring.
Al Jahili Fort is one of the largest
castles in Al Ain and is also recognised
as one of the largest forts in the United
Arab Emirates.
The construction of Al Jahili Fort was
commission by HH Sheikh Zayed Bin
Khalifa, also known as Zayed The First
(ruler of Abu Dhabi 1855-1909).
Construction of the fort began in 1891
and was completed in 1898.
The original part of Al Jahili Fort
consists of two buildings, a square
courtyard with tall walls, a separate
round tower, and comprised of four
concentric tiers. The design of the
separate tower is reminiscent of a
similar construction of one of the
towers excavated in the Hili area that
dates back to the Bronze Age (3rd
millennium BC).
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Al Jahili Fort served as a summer
home for the Al Nahyan family. It also
provided shelter for the residents of Al
Ain Oasis in times of political turmoil.
The fort fell into disrepair by the early
1950s. It was later assigned to the Al
Ain Department of Antiquities and
Tourism, which carried out restorations
during the mid-1980s in order to
restore the castle to its original status.
Below are a few key points on the Al
Jahili Fort.
• After
restorative
work
was
completed, the fort became a
cultural centre and tourist attraction.
• A permanent exhibition is devoted
to Wilfred Thesiger, the English
explorer,
writer,
photographer
and traveller, who had been
accommodated in Al Ain by the late
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
several times during the 1940s.
• The square fort was originally
entered through the gate in the
south wall, which is surmounted by
an inscribed poem dedicated to its
founder, Sheikh Zayed.
After The Bell
• In the 1950s, British forces
requisitioned the fort as a base for
a unit of the Trucial Oman Levies.
Barracks and other buildings were
added to the earlier fort and tower.
• The UAE Army also used the
facilities (later) for one of its squads.
• The fort remained a residence for
the Al Nahyan family even after
Sheikh Zayed the First passed away
in 1909.
• There is a Visitor Information Centre
on location where you can obtain
additional reading material on the
fort, as well as other heritage and
tourist locations in Abu Dhabi. There
is also a shop and café, facilities for
outdoor cultural events and wider
exhibition spaces.
To read about the historical Al Jahili
Fort is not enough. Be sure to go and
visit the fort and roam the property for
a first hand experience of the delightful
exhibition and all that is being offered
there.
Sources include www.abudhabi.ae and http://
gulfnews.com