subject: Al-Ain, Oasis City in the Desert of Abu Dhabi - Six Things That Are 'Musts' to Do [print this page] Al-Ain, Oasis City in the Desert of Abu Dhabi - Six Things That Are 'Musts' to Do
It is a green and tropically coloured retreat amongst the desert ochres and red-tinged dunes and is a showcase for the policy of environmental sustainability promoted by the Abu Dhabi royal family.
Although there is much to see in this city, there are six stand-out things to do.
Spend a tranquil hour or more wandering through date palm groves along the twisting, shady paths of Al-Ain oasis, the largest of several in the area. Admire the ancient falaj irrigation system, some parts of which date back as far as 1000 BCE. The water from the oasis springs and bores is directed along a network of man-made tunnels, eventually emerging into open channels that provide trickle irrigation.
Drive up the 1300-metre, honeycombed limestone monolith of Jebel Hafeet, passing the mineral springs at its base, its 'greened' flanks, and one of the royal family's palaces perched on a ridge. If there is no sand haze, sunset is the best time to gain a panorama of the oasis city with its millions of date palms and indigenous desert trees.
Check out the massive new livestock yards and the only camel market left in the UAE, famous throughout the Gulf region. In this bustling market out on the Mezyad Road, traders mostly from the Al Rashaidah tribes, a Bedouin group from Sudan and the Arabian peninsula, can be seen and heard, discussing the various merits of their animals and vigorously discussing prices.
Experience Al-Ain's long history as an important stop-over on the ancient caravan routes at the National Museum where displays include archaeological exhibits from the 3rd millennium BCE tombs at Hili.
Visualize what Al-Ain, and life among the Bedouin people of the Empty Quarter was like before the age of oil sounded its death knoll, by visiting the preserved and renovated Al Jahili Fort.
Get a glimpse into the way Abu Dhabi's Al Nahayan royal family once lived in the early 20th century by wandering through the Al-Ain Palace Museum. Many of the old palace's rooms, such as the majilis or 'places of sitting' are still decorated as they once were.
Al-Ain, with its millions of trees, springs, landscaped gardens and decorative roundabouts, is a welcome summer retreat for local Emirati families as well as a interesting day trip for international visitors.
Pamela Bradley, also known as Zelda, is a noted author of nine books on ancient cultures and mysteries, historian, public speaker and passionate traveler. Follow her travels onhttp://www.zeldastravels.com and check out her profile, books, recent memoir, Nefertiti Street, as well as her observations on writing and women onhttp://www.pamelabradley.com.
