The Historical Heart of Abu Dhabi: An Architecture Tour Around Al Hosn Site

(15 reviews)

Abu Dhabi audio tour: The Historical Heart of Abu Dhabi: An Architecture Tour Around Al Hosn Site

This is a 0.8mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates

Free

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Reviews

About the Tour

Discover the beating historical heart of Abu Dhabi with this walking tour of the Al Hosn site, starting with Qasr Al Hosn, the city’s oldest stone building.

While you walk, you’ll learn how Qasr Al Hosn played a key role in the development of Abu Dhabi’s fascinating history. See where the first tentative steps towards nationhood were taken, the city’s first permanent structure, and the palatial home built around an impenetrable fortress. You’ll also get to explore the city’s cultural and artistic hub, the Cultural Foundation, as well as the House of Artisans. Finally, you can take a relaxing stroll around the site’s impressive water feature, with a stop off at its Musallah.

Along the way, you’ll hear about:

How a legendary gazelle led to the first settlement in the area
How the granting of the first oil concessions paved the way for Abu Dhabi’s dramatic transformation
The various architectural techniques visible on the site
The importance of Qasr Al Hosn to the city’s heritage
The lives of the women in the palace

End the tour with a traditional Arabic coffee. You’ll even hear tips on how to participate in the local rituals of coffee-making.

Music:

Lee Rosevere – Start the Day
Lee Rosevere – Here's the Thing
Desert City by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license

Tour Producer

Visit Abu Dhabi

21 tours

With three diverse destinations in just one Emirate, Abu Dhabi is a truly unique destination, where respect for the past informs the present and shapes the future.

This is a diverse emirate with desertscapes, oases, mountain heights, fabulous beaches, warm, clear waters, desert islands, an ancient heritage city and a modern, cosmopolitan capital city. It’s a destination of historic buildings, thrilling headline attractions, engaging tours and a packed calendar of headline events covering the arts, culture, sports, concerts and trade shows.

Abu Dhabi is a destination that will exceed your expectations!

Preview Location

Location 10

The Bani Yas & daily life

You'll shortly be leaving the fort via the exit ahead on your left but stop here for a moment before you do, so we can briefly talk about the people that populated this area.

At the start of our walk today, we pointed out that this area was largely uninhabited until the 176... You'll shortly be leaving the fort via the exit ahead on your left but stop here for a moment before you do, so we can briefly talk about the people that populated this area.

At the start of our walk today, we pointed out that this area was largely uninhabited until the 1760s. So where did everyone come from? In today’s terms, not far by car, but in the past, it was days away.

The people who settled here came from Al Dhafra, which is the huge area that wraps around Abu Dhabi further to the west and down to the south heading out to the magnificent desert region of Rub’ Al Khali, otherwise known as the Empty Quarter.

The region is populated by numerous tribes, who together form the powerful Bani Yas tribal confederation. One of the branches of this confederation is the Al Bu Falah, which includes the Al Nahyan ruling family of Abu Dhabi.

Historically, the Bani Yas already presided over what is today the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Their reach extended from their heartland, the inland oases of Liwa, across their traditional grazing lands to the Gulf coast.
The Bani Yas moved with the seasons. Spreading out from Liwa, they went in search of fresh waterholes and pastures or to trade the dates harvested in the oases. They would also visit Abu Dhabi island to fish, dive for pearls and collect salt. It was an efficient and sustainable way of life

As we mentioned at the start of the tour, water is the key to life here in the desert. The lush Liwa oasis exists because a water table lies close to the surface. It has supported agriculture and animal husbandry in the oasis for generations and creates a dramatic contrast between the green palm groves and towering orange sand dunes all around.

Film buffs might like to know that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was set in the Rub’ Al Khali desert, east of the Liwa Oasis, and the desert scenes in the film Sonic the Hedgehog were also filmed in the oasis. Can you picture the place now?

If you are keen to discover the Liwa Oasis, try to time it with either the Liwa Date Festival or the Al Dhafra Festival, both held annually. You will be amazed by the variety of dates in the competition for the best at the Date Festival. Farms from across the UAE vie for the title, and the competition is taken very, very seriously.

As are the camel beauty contests at the Al Dhafra Festival, that involve tens of thousands of camels from across the Arabian Peninsula. The festival also includes other Bedouin cultural exhibitions and competitions, including camel and purebred Arabian horse racing, Arabian Saluki dog races, sheep beauty contests, camel milking, falconry, and Emirati handicrafts, such as those profiled in the House of Artisans, which you’ll see in a moment. These events are definitely enjoyable for tourists, as much as they are for Emiratis.

Now, head through the exit, so we can go explore the rest of the site. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Qasr Al Hosn
Cultural Foundation

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum St(2nd St) - Al Hisn - W3 - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates
Total distance

1km
Final location
F9M4+37H - Al Hisn St - Al Hisn - W3 - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates
Distance back to start location

125.69m

Directions to Starting Point

Al Hosn has two parking spots on its north and south sides. If you are taking Al Hisn Street, the North car park will be easy for you to spot and park (since, it’s exactly opposite Marks & Spencer). If you are coming from Corniche Road, you will find the south car park easily (it’s opposite the Al Muhairi Centre). Qasr Al Hosn can conveniently be reached via bus, taxi, bike or scooter.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Mirzam café, The Espresso lab, Wild & the Moon Cafe, The Souk at World Trade Center Abu Dhabi, Al Muhairi Centre

Best time of day

Qasr Al Hosn can be enjoyed throughout the year, since there are indoor exhibitions that can also be experienced.

Precautions

Make sure you have your ticket ready for seamless entry. The region is known for its hot weather, and therefore we recommend taking a few precautions: bring along a bottle of water, a hat and sunblock, and wear good walking shoes. Take care in crossing the street, making sure to use only dedicated pedestrian crossings. Please be respectful of regional dress codes.

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

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Questions and Reviews

4.9 / 5

15 Ratings

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