Qasr Al Hosn

Qasr Al Hosn
قَصْر ٱلْحُصْن
Qasr Al Hosn in May 2019
LocationSheikh Zayed the First Street
Coordinates24°28′56.6″N 54°21′17.35″E / 24.482389°N 54.3548194°E / 24.482389; 54.3548194
Built1931 outer Fort with 30 m (98 ft) high main watchtower around the 1761 inner fort
Qasr Al Hosn is located in United Arab Emirates
Qasr Al Hosn
Location in the U.A.E.
Qasr Al Hosn is located in Persian Gulf
Qasr Al Hosn
Qasr Al Hosn (Persian Gulf)
Qasr Al Hosn is located in West and Central Asia
Qasr Al Hosn
Qasr Al Hosn (West and Central Asia)

The Qasr Al Hosn (Arabic: قَصْر ٱلْحُصْن, romanized: Qaṣr al-Ḥuṣn, lit. 'The Fortified Palace') is a historical landmark and the oldest stone building in the city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Its construction was supervised by Mohammed Al Bastaki[1] in 1761.[2]

Location

See also: Geography of the United Arab Emirates

It is located along Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum St[3] and is a part of the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation.[4]

History

See also: History of the United Arab Emirates
Interior of the palace

Qasr Al Hosn, also known as the White Fort (originally not white in colour but painted bright white during 1976–1983 renovations) or Old Fort,[5] was constructed in 1761 as a conical watchtower to defend the only freshwater well in Abu Dhabi island.[2] The tower was later expanded into a small fort in 1793 by the then ruler, Shakhbut bin Dhiyab Al Nahyan, and became the permanent residence of the ruling Sheikh.[2] The tower took its present shape after a major extension in the late 1930s, aided by revenues received for granting the first oil license in Abu Dhabi.[6] It remained the emir's palace (hence the name Qasr Al Hosn, meaning Palace fort) and seat of government until 1966.[2] The fort had been refurbished several times and is now partially open to the public.[7][8]

Current use

See also: Culture of the United Arab Emirates
In 2024

The Qasr Al Hosn is currently the subject of extensive historical, archaeological, and architectural research.[4][9] The fort houses a museum displaying artifacts and pictures representing the history of the country. It also has a range of weapons, used through the region's history, on display.[5]

Qasr Al Hosn Festival is an annual 11-day cultural event staged on the grounds of the fort.[10][11] The fort is open to the public during the festival, including some of the restricted areas[11] and features live music and dance performances showing the UAE's cultural heritage.[8]

Mosque

See also: Islam in the United Arab Emirates, List of mosques in the United Arab Emirates, and Religion in the United Arab Emirates

Located on Zayed the First Street nearby (24°28′52.52″N 54°21′31.36″E / 24.4812556°N 54.3587111°E / 24.4812556; 54.3587111) is the historical Zayed the Second Mosque (Arabic: مَسْجِد ٱلشَّيْخ زَايِد ٱلثَّانِي, romanized: Masjid Aš-Šaykh Zāyid Ath-Thānī), which should not be confused with the Grand Mosque.[12][13]

References

  1. ^ "قصر الحصن حارس تاريخ أبوظبي". صحيفة الخليج (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  2. ^ a b c d "UAE museum: Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi". Gulf News. 2 November 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  3. ^ "QASR AL HOSN - Abu Dhabi Culture". Cultural Foundation. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "National". National. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "My destination". My destination. 2015. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  6. ^ "Dubaifaqs". Dubaifaqs. 22 April 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  7. ^ "UAE Interact". UAE Interact. 29 July 2007. Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Khaleej Times". Khaleej Times. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  9. ^ "Muntada Qasr Al Hosn serves as key platform". Gulf News. 2 March 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  10. ^ "Festival home". Qasr al Hosn Festival. 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Take a trip down memory lane at Qasr Al Hosn". Gulf News. 11 February 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  12. ^ "Zayed The 2nd Mosque". BestThings.AE. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  13. ^ "مسجد زايد الثاني الأقدم في العاصمة". Al Khaleej (in Arabic). 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.