Qasr al-Hosn
Encyclopedia
The Qasr al-Hosn is the oldest stone building in the city of Abu Dhabi
, capital of the United Arab Emirates
.
, not Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan), on the same compound as the Cultural Foundation (arabic site).
defending the only freshwater well
on Abu Dhabi island in ca. 1761. This tower was later expanded to a small fort in ca. 1793, at which point it became the permanent residence of the ruling sheikh
. A major extension to its current shape took place in the late 1930s, aided by revenues received for granting the first oil license in Abu Dhabi. It remained the royal palace (hence the name Qasr al-Hosn, meaning palace-fort) and seat of government until 1966. Plans have been drafted in 2007 to redevelop the site and open it up to the public.
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, capital of the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
.
Location
It is located along Sheikh Zayed the First Street (i.e., Sheikh Zayed bin KhalifaZayed bin Khalifa
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan was the grandfather of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, first president of the United Arab Emirates. He was born in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, in what was then called Trucial Oman, sometime around 1840. He lived much of his early life with the Bedouin of Abu Dhabi...
, not Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan), on the same compound as the Cultural Foundation (arabic site).
History
Also known as the 'white fort' (erroneously so, it was never white until the 1976–1983 renovations when it acquired a bright white painted concrete render) or 'old fort', it started out as a round watchtowerWatchtower
A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military, and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may...
defending the only freshwater well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
on Abu Dhabi island in ca. 1761. This tower was later expanded to a small fort in ca. 1793, at which point it became the permanent residence of the ruling sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
. A major extension to its current shape took place in the late 1930s, aided by revenues received for granting the first oil license in Abu Dhabi. It remained the royal palace (hence the name Qasr al-Hosn, meaning palace-fort) and seat of government until 1966. Plans have been drafted in 2007 to redevelop the site and open it up to the public.
Literature
- Heard-Bey, Frauke (2004) From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London, Motivate (3rd edition).
- Maitra, Jayanti and Al Hajji, Afra (2001) Qasr al Hosn: The History of the Rulers of Abu Dhabi 1793–1966. Abu Dhabi. National Center for Documentation and ResearchNational Center for Documentation and ResearchThe National Center for Documentation and Research is a leading research and archival institution based in Abu Dhabi charged with preserving and documenting the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region in general.The NCDR was established in 1968 by the late Zayed bin...
.