The Legacy Of The Al 'Ain Oasis In Abu Dhabi

By Melati Mohd Ariff ABU DHABI, Feb 18 (Bernama) -- While in school this writer learnt about oasis in deserts, which were depicted as fertile green lands in deserts with springs. Hence, upon hearing of a beautiful oasis town in Abu Dhabi, this writer took the opportunity to visit the place while holidaying in Dubai recently. Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the others being Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. A GARDEN CITY The aforementioned oasis town, the second biggest in Abu Dhabi and the fourth biggest in UAE, is the Al 'Ain. Al 'Ain means "Spring" and the place is also known as a garden city, with greeneries standing out from the dry and dusty desert. This writer learnt of Al 'Ain by coincidence while watching a television documentary from the 200 odd channels available in Dubai. Al 'Ain is also the birth place of UAE's founder and its first president, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. A LONG JOURNEY Al 'Ain, also referred to as 'Tawam' or 'Oasis al Buraimi' in historical texts is located about 120 km to the south of Dubai. The journey on road from Dubai to Al 'Ain through the Emirates Road and then the Dubai-Al 'Ain Highway took about 90 minutes. Throughout the journey the vast desert dominated the view at both sides of the road only to be sporadically punctuated with the view of the Camel Race Club, the Camel Market, recreational sports and the parachute club. It was still early and there was not much traffic on the road, though occasionally there were cars speeding beyond the speed limit. This writer started craning the neck to view the camels roaming the desert. The road perimeter is fenced up to prevent these animals from straying into the road and accidents due to them is nothing new here. FILLED WITH GREENERIES Also, date palms were planted in a single row on the road divider. Lamp posts can be seen not only on the left and right shoulder of the broad roads but also on the divider, so there is no such a thing as driving in the dark here. And another significant thing to note here is that no toll is imposed on users of the Dubai-Al 'Ain highway! Entering Al 'Ain, the writer was greeted with the view of the greens with the dark and light tan colour of the desert as the backdrop. Apart from the date palm trees, there where other trees that provided shade and also plants with colourful flowers. The period between December and January is considered winter here so the desert environment was bearable. This writer was fascinated by the Al 'Ain township, where one easily forgets that one is in a desert. Roundabouts too were beautified with man made attractions and flowering plants. However, this writer soon lost count on the number of roundabouts because was too engrossed snapping pictures of them. MANY ATTRACTIONS There were many interesting places at Al 'Ain but due to time constraints, and the fact that this writer had to return to Dubai on the same day, only a few locations were in the itinerary. The first destination, Jebel Hafeet, is a giant rock outcrop that divides Abu Dhabi and Oman (above). At the foot of the hill there is a place known as the 'Green Mubazzarah', which is very popular among locals and tourists. This writer chose to go there first to avoid the crowds and what more when it was a Friday, a public holiday there. MANY VISITORS And sure enough this writer was not wrong when speaking of the crowds. Upon arriving at Green Mubazzarah, the crowds were already there. Some had set up camps at the site reserved for camping and some were resting under the gazebos. Apart from private cars, there were also tour and school buses. One of the main attraction here is the hot water spring. This writer tested hot the water piped in directly from the spring, and the verdict was it is just too hot for anyone. This piped water is then mixed with cold water in the pool to enable people to dip their hands and legs. There is also a closed area for men and women respectively to dip in the water. DRIVING TO THE TOP And then we drove right up to the Jebel Hafeet's summit, an elevation of 1,240 meters. The wide road going up was winding all the way with parking space provided in several locations to allow visitors to view the Al 'Ain town's panorama including the impressive rock formation. PALACE MUSEUM The Al 'Ain Palace Museum located near a commercial district was the second destination for the writer. Known in Arabic as Qasr al-Ain, the construction of the palace started in 1937 and was occupied by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan up to 1966 before being converted into a museum in 1998. Visitors here are reminded not to eat or drink, smoke, or litter the place. Here, the jeep used by Sheikh Zayed to go for rides on the desert is on display. UNIQUE DESIGN On the whole, this palace showcases a unique and impressive architecture apart from its manicured landscape. The palace is set on a sprawling ground with royal bedroom, family room, classrooms and others. The halls to greet local and foreign dignitaries are separated by lawns. And at one corner of the lawn, there is a swimming pool but visitors are not allowed to get near. There is also a giant tent within the palace's compound. The camp is actually a replica of the tents used when Sheikh Zayed was occupying the palace. Sheikh Zayed loved the Bedouin way of life, and he set up the giant camps to entertain his special guests in a jovial atmosphere on the open ground. On the way out of the museum, there is an area displaying the portrait of Sheikh Zayed and his sons. Also on display is the Sheikh Zayed's family lineage starting with Eissa bin Nahyan (18th century). THE AL 'AIN OASIS Not far from the Al 'Ain Museum, there is a place known as the Al 'Ain Oasis, the biggest among the seven oasis in this township. The oasis was quiet and when this writer arrived at the car park, there was no one there except for a foreign security guard manning the entrance. This oasis has many date palm orchards and still utilises an ancient underground irrigation canal known as 'falaj'. Due to time constrains, this writer decided to go into only one of the date palm orchards to view from near the trees that provide the dates that auspiciously consumed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. The Al 'Ain Oasis is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE The Hili Archaeological Park located at the Mohammed Bin Khalifa St was the writer's final destination for the day. It is also a UNESCO's World Heritage Site. In getting to the place, one has to drive through several beautiful roundabouts. This site holds some remnants of the Bronze Age (2,500-2,000 BC), but now it is also a family park. At the entrance, it is stated as 'Hili Archeological Park For Families'. Many visitors were seen sitting on the carpets laid under the trees, while others were seen sitting in a circle on the chairs that they had brought along. This writer was careful in snapping photos knowing well that local residents don't like their pictures being taken. This is clearly mentioned on the guide provided for tourists in Dubai. The cool evening atmosphere is conducive for strolling through this manicured archeological park. There are several historical remnants that was fenced up including living quarters made up of dried clay and a semi spherical mausoleum. As the sun was setting, this writer started the journey back to Dubai. Though it was a short trip, the oasis town of Al 'Ain left behind an everlasting impression. "If there is opportunity, I will return," noted this writer in her heart. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA