Abu Dhabi: Visitors will get to experience the UAE’s diverse history and culture at the upcoming Qasr Al Hosn Festival, an annual event to celebrate the country’s history, as well as honouring the country’s founding leaders.
This year’s festival will be held on the grounds of the Qasr Al Hosn from February 11 to 21, allowing visitors access to the inner fort, as well as access areas of the fort that have never been open to the public before. The festival will explain the fort’s history, its functions, and the efforts being made to conserve the heritage site.
Speaking on the festival, Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority said, “Qasr Al Hosn is truly the heart of Abu Dhabi’s cultural scene and one of the structures that represents rich Emirati history. The aim behind the festival is to engage with the community and give the public rare access to the fort and to collectively appreciate centuries of Emirati culture which has shaped the UAE of today.”
“Through Qasr Al Hosn Festival, we appreciate the efforts of our ancestors by passing down centuries of information to those visiting from across the UAE and abroad. The fort has been a source of inspiration for so many, and through the festival, we hope to strengthen appreciation of Emirati culture and identity, and harvest pride and honour for all those who take part,” he added.
The Cultural Foundation will also be open to the public with exhibitions, activities and installations highlighting the building’s significance to Abu Dhabi’s heritage. Important historical events that took place at the Cultural Foundation will also be remembered and celebrated.
Other programmes as part of the festival include the homecoming of the National Pavilion, the UAE exhibition from the 14th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale Di Venezia. Also featured is the “Lest We Forget: Structures of Memory in the UAE”, a music programme themed around the UAE’s heritage. The cultural experience exhibition “Gahwa” (traditional UAE coffee) will also be a part of the festival, with the show celebrating the gahwa rituals.
A hub of visual and performing arts, traditional workshops, cultural and interactive learning experiences led by professional curators, artisans and experts will also be included as part of the festival.
The Qasr Al Hosn Festival is held under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
