# Qasr Al Hosn: The Revival of Abu Dhabi's Oldest Building

> Discover what makes Qasr Al Hosn so captivating, the symbolic birthplace of Abu Dhabi. Find out why the UAE capital's oldest fortress belongs at the top of your list.

- URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/naystarishoyi-budivli-abu-dabi/
- Language: en
- Published: 2023-06-19
- Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Leisure, Museums, Tours, UAE

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Qasr Al Hosn, regarded as the symbolic birthplace of Abu Dhabi, is arguably the most fascinating site in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Founded around 1760, it is also the oldest building in the city.

This striking white fortress, surrounded by the skyscrapers that have sprung up across downtown, served over the centuries as a fort, a seat of power and even a public library.

In 2018, after more than a decade of restoration carried out by the Abu Dhabi government, it took on a fresh identity once again, this time as a museum.

Back in the 18th century, it began as a watchtower, the city's first permanent structure. It was built to keep an eye on the coastal trade and later guarded the settlement as it grew.

The inner fort, the Hosn, built from coral and stones taken from the sea, was raised in 1795, while the Qasr, the outer palace, was added by Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan around 1939.

Although the ruling family lived in the building for many years, it eventually became home to the Abu Dhabi National Center for Documentation and Research.

Qasr Al Hosn was closed to visitors for roughly a decade before reopening in 2018.

## An Iconic Landmark

![Qasr Al Hosn, the white fortress in Abu Dhabi](/storage/image/prev/OAE-1-AL-hosn--1024x680.jpg)

Its latest incarnation includes a vast new theater, two new exhibition halls, an open gallery, a visual arts center and a children's library.

There is also a large reservoir, a mangrove garden, a prayer area and a "house of artisans," where visitors can watch live demonstrations of traditional crafts.

The surrounding grounds were designed to reflect the geography of the emirate, from the salt flats to the coastline, and the traditional "barjeel" ventilation system that eases the heat has been preserved.

Visitors can explore the historic fort and the living quarters of Sheikh Shakhbut.

"As they walk through the grounds, visitors pass through a kind of narrative parkland, from the mangroves to the falaj garden, with a subtle divide between the traditional and the modern," Mark Powell Kyffin, head of architecture at the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), told Architectural Digest.

"For us, making it the cultural heart of Abu Dhabi was a fantastic opportunity."