ABU DHABI’S HISTORIC QASR AL HOSN FORT HIGHLIGHTS THE BIRTH OF THE UAE’S CAPITAL

Consultative Council and is now also open to the public.

In addition to history, archaeology, and art, the new complex will also promote traditional Emirati crafts through the House of Artisans. Founded to preserve and enable the next generation to learn the crafts of their ancestors, the house will offer training courses and educational workshops to ensure the survival of traditional Emirati culture.

On the restoration process, Al Mubarak stated, “The restoration work of the site is a very robust process and too make sure that all the remains were recreated were using the same materials and the same tools that were used in the creation of this fort. I›m very blessed to say that the team that has been doing this work is a mixture of a local team and a team that has been brought in from around the world, everything from archaeologists to historians.”

“I think a project like this is really difficult. You have everything from excess salt to excess water, you have places where, for example, the 1760 watchtower is such a delicate tower that any movement of the ground can create some issues. We made sure to stabilise that building, surrounding it with proper scaffolding whilst building up the entire fort. These are things that kept us on our toes but thank God with the effort of every single person, we made it happen.”

The fort’s museum features a number of highly detailed exhibits that shed light on life in Abu Dhabi and its inhabitants. Alongside the original door, visitors will also have a chance to see items belonging to some of the Emirate›s most famous rulers, including the signet ring of Sheikh Zayed the First, the ‘bisht’ of Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan, and the passport of his namesake Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.