Out & About in Abu Dhabi: Treasure in the city

A cultural centre takes visitors on a historical trip

With the continual building and development activity in Abu Dhabi, it is easy to forget the tremendous progress that has been made in the past four decades, or the wealth of history behind the modern facade.

To appreciate this, a trip to the Qasr Al Hosn is a must for visitors and residents alike. Also known as the Fort Palace, the White Fort or the Old Fort, it is the oldest building in Abu Dhabi and one of the few remaining examples of the indigenous architecture of the emirate.

Traffic zooms by on the four streets – Airport Road (2nd), Khaleed bin Waleed Street (22nd), Al Hosn Street (5th) and Zayed the First Street (7th) – oblivious to the history housed within a white walled square with a glimpse of greenery behind.

This is the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation complex, wherein lies the Fort Palace. The crenellated white wall surrounds several low buildings, gardens, fountains, the Fort Palace, a mosque and the Cultural Foundation.

Entering through the archway on Al Hosn Street, leaving the cranes and satellite dishes behind in modern Abu Dhabi, be soothed by the sound of fountains and small birds in the trees. To the left is the Cultural Foundation and to the right, Qasr Al Hosn.

Old and the new stand side by side; the old palace through to the Arts establishment and the cinema where modern films are shown.

As an aircraft, high overhead, wings its way to far off lands, let your mind fly back through the centuries to imagine yourself on a stretch of barren land, known in the 18th century as Mleih, which would eventually develop into the modern city of Abu Dhabi.

At this time, the mainly desolate Arabian coast was sparsely populated.

Only its creeks and inlets enabled small settlements to survive, living a hard life as fishermen or pearl divers on the coast, or further inland, roaming tribes of bedouin.