Local Culture & Heritage Attractions
Al Jahili Fort: 39 min (53.4 km) via Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Rd/E22
The picturesque Al Jahili Fort is one of the UAE’s most historic buildings. It was erected in 1891 to defend the city and protect precious palm groves. The former headquarters of the Oman Trucial Scouts, the force that protected the mountain passes and kept inter-tribal peace, it also served as a residence for the local governor. It is set in beautifully landscaped gardens, and visitors are encouraged to explore it.
Al Ain Palace Museum: 50 mins (56.3 Km) via Abu Dhabi Al Ain Rd/ E22
Qasr al-Ain or "Al Ain Palace", is one of the best-reinstated forts in the Abu Dhabi Emirate. The museum showcases the everyday life in a ruler's fort when the late Sheikh Zayed and his family resided in the palace prior to 1966. The Bedouin style architecture dates back to 1937 and was converted into a museum in 1998 as a main cultural and tourist attraction. The museum opened its doors to visitors in 2001, and continues to celebrate the rich history of the country and preserves its links to the present and the future.
Al Ain National Museum: 54 mins (58.3 Km) via Abu Dhabi Al Ain Rd/ E22
Let’s you explore various aspects of UAE life, including Bedouin jewelry and traditional musical instrument collections. The former home of the late UAE founder, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Al Ain Palace Museum houses a large collection of material about the ruling family. Visitors can tour the private rooms and gardens once occupied by the “Father of the Nation”.
Qasr Al Muwaiji : 46 min (54.3 km) via Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Rd/E22
Home to generations of the Al Nahyan family, and saw the birth of Sheikh Khalifa in 1948. The UNESCO World Heritage Site functioned not only as a home and an oasis in the desert but also as a place of rule and a focus for the community. The architectural gem now offers its visitors a variety of historical and traditional experiences associated with the venue, including oral narrations of the significant moments of Sheikh Khalifa’s life from his early childhood, leadership and vast national achievements.
Al Ain Oasis: 50 min (56.3 km) via Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Rd/E22
The historic oasis sprawls across 3,000-acre and provides a unique insight into the region's inhabitants who began taming the desert 4,000 years ago. The Al Ain Oasis has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, but only now, with the construction of an educational Eco-Centre and an extensive system of shaded pathways that wind through some 147,000 date palms, is it open to the public.
Al Jimi Oasis: 54 min (57 km) via Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Rd/E22
Combining a lush palm oasis with indigenous trees, traditional ‘falaj’ irrigation and 300-year-old buildings, Al Jimi Oasis in Al Ain will take visitors back in time. The oasis is an agricultural area with a thick cover of palm trees, which also contains mosques and heavily fortified houses that speaks to the agricultural and administrative importance of the oasis from the early 1700s onward.
Al Hili Oasis: 52 min (58.7 km) via Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Rd/E22
Hili Oasis is the northernmost oasis in the Al Ain district and features several historic structures, including two watchtowers, a traditional irrigation system and a fortified home built in the early 1800s. The Hemad Bin Hadi al Darmaki (Bin Hadi) House stands at the centre of Hili Oasis and is a great example of the fortified houses from that period that guarded oases at the time.
Al Qattara Oasis: 51 min (55 km) via Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Rd/E22
With hectares of palm and fruit trees, a 4,000-year-old tomb, historic mosques, fortified houses and a market, Al Qattara Oasis is a patchwork of history and heritage. The oasis has been cultivated and farmed for three centuries, but there are signs of human habitation that includes a 14-metre long tomb containing a trove of 4,000-year-old artifacts.
