Qasr Al Hosn prepares to welcome a new generation
Qasr Al Hosn opens to the public this weekend with a full line-up of celebrations: extended opening hours for the site’s three main components, in addition to musical acts and food options throughout the newly revamped city block.
The sites are open Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 10pm and on the weekends from 10am to 11pm.
The area is open on all sides to pedestrians, embedding it in the urban footprint of the city. While several new initiatives in recent years have drawn attention away from Abu Dhabi island, the traditional heart of the city, Qasr Al Hosn’s reopening is a reminder of a time – not so long ago – when there was no Saadiyat, no Yas, nor developments such as Raha Beach or Khalifa City.
The site meant different things to residents at different times. For recent arrivals, it was the site of the immensely popular Qasr Al Hosn Festival, an 11-day programme that was held for four years in February and featured heritage activities and performances.
For longer-term Abu Dhabi residents, it was the Cultural Foundation, which was the centre of the city’s social, artistic and literary life. And for those even longer in the tooth, it
was an important historical site, where the charter for the federation of the emirates was signed and from where Sheikh Shakhbut presided.
The new Qasr Al Hosn aims to bring all these earlier incarnations together, with heritage activities in the House of Artisans, a reopened Cultural Foundation and a new museum telling the history of the Baniyas confederation of tribes, Al Nahyan family and the emergence of modern Abu Dhabi.
The reconstructions include the bedrooms of the ruling family slept and the men’s and women’s majlises.
There is an emphasis throughout on showing the crucial role women played in Emirati society since its beginnings, a fact Mohamed Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, underlined.
“They protected the fort side by side with men,” Mr Al Mubarak said. “It’s a big misconception in the West – the idea of a woman not being an equal companion with her husband or her male counterpart is a complete falsehood. The reality speaks in its history.”
The House of Artisans will offer workshops and demonstrations of traditional Emirati crafts, such as tali embroidery and Al Sadu weaving, throughout the week.
It also has the first Bait Al Gahwa, where visitors can experience the tradition of Arabic coffee, and a fine gift shop for those looking for holiday buys.
The auditorium revolves, so it can accommodate different events and numbers of crowds.
It hosts a variety of musical events for the week, with most of them at 6.30pm and 8.30pm.