Abu Dhabi Week takes you on a guided tour of the lush Al Ain Oasis and we see for ourselves why they call it The Garden City

The sun is already high in the sky when we pull up in front of two small, fort-like towers supporting a weathered wooden sign. One of six oases in town and the spot after which the city was named, Al Ain Oasis is easy to find for anyone driving in from the capital – just follow the brown and white tourist signs to Al Ain National Museum and you’ll see the oasis right next door.

The arched entrance to the oasis is worn and a little hard to read, but that should come as no surprise. People have been relying on this bit of land for centuries, says Aqeel Ahmed Aqeel, an engineer with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH).

“We don’t know for sure how long the oasis has been here but we did an archaeological investigation and at Qattara Oasis, we found artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age,” says Aqeel. “These findings prove that this oasis has been here for a very long time – even from before the Islamic period, over three thousand years ago.”

With all the shady trees, wide open avenues and stone benches, the oasis is a perfect place to spend a day walking or biking – and because the lanes are paved in brick, even children and wheelchair users can enjoy the fresh air (you could even pack a lunch).
While the oasis is a beautiful, serene retreat from the bustle of modern life, it’s also full of interesting sights. The following are just a few we found on our tour:

The falaj irrigation system

As we stroll throughout the oasis, we can see the remnants of the falaj irrigation system, a series of channels running into each plot of land and controlled by small doors at the base of each wall. While the Roman aqueduct is famous the world over, these channels seem to have been kept a secret.

“What you can see here is the last part,” explains Aqeel. “There are hidden channels underground coming from the mountain that were built a very long time ago. People have maintained it from generation to generation. These manmade channels have traditionally been the main source of water for the oasis.

“Before Sheikh Zayed came into power, different families or tribes would oversee the oasis and control how much water each plot of land received. Farmers would pay a certain amount of money for the doors to be opened for a certain amount of time. When Sheikh Zayed became the ruler of Al Ain, he made the water free – the government would pay so everyone could have the water they needed.”

The channels are now lined with concrete, but this renovation is a relatively modern development, says Aqeel.

“Originally, these channels were lined with stone and a local material, a mud which is resistant to the water called sarooj, an expensive material which was made by mixing mud with animal dung and baking it in an oven. They wouldn’t have used sarooj for building houses, only for this falaj system.”

The farms

At first glance, we’re inclined to wonder why more effort hasn’t gone into capitalising on what could be a booming tourist attraction – until, that is, we learn that these plots of land are still working farms that are privately owned by families that have passed down ownership of these sites for centuries.

“It’s mostly farm land especially deep within the oasis but they would also use it for animal breeding,” says Aqeel. “Mainly dates are raised here but they also raise orange, banana or mango trees. In the old days, dates were the main type of currency – they would use dates to trade for food or products from Dubai or Abu Dhabi.”

Turns out modern farmers have discovered a most elegant solution to an ancient annoyance. On just about every plot of land, you’ll see a solitary solar panel erected at the top of a pole – the panel powers a light that comes on at night, attracting and then killing insects which drop dead into a bag or bucket attached below. Brilliant, we thought.

Historic buildings and walls

According to Aqeel, you won’t find very many historic buildings in the Al Ain Oasis – because the farm land was so valuable, most people would live outside the oasis walls. If you want to see more of these ancient structures, check out the old family homes in the Qattara and Jimi oases.

Among the few buildings within and along the eastern edge of the Al Ain Oasis, however, Aqeel takes us to see one inside the oasis walls that his department has been charged with preserving.

“We had to do some emergency conservation here,” explains Aqeel, pointing to the remnants of a structure long abandoned. “The erosion was very high, and you can see in the top left corner there was no connection between these two walls. The freestanding wall was very high, so it was better to connect it to the other wall.

“The building itself is about 100 years old. We’re not sure, but some people have said that it was used for educating small children, a mutawah for Quran, basic math – a small school.”

In addition to the buildings, some of the walls enclosing each plot of land are over 100 years old, and ADACH is working to maintain these walls while at the same time allowing farmers convenient access to their land.

The wadi and the Al Naqfa Ridge

“The oasis takes its shape from this wadi – a temporary path for water,” says Aqeel, taking us just beyond the southern edge of the oasis. “In the old days, it was full of water but now not as much. At the beginning, it was natural but they’ve now built walls around it to control where the water goes. Sometimes it is full of water.”

On the other side of the wadi, we can see a small hill which is part of the Al Naqfa Ridge, where a spine of stone running from Jebel Hafeet through the city culminates. Built into the side of one of the ridge’s peaks – not far from the very modern football stadium – is an Islamic site dating back around 800 years.

“We don’t know exactly what it is, but the archaeologist who did the investigation thought it was maybe a fort,” says Aqeel. “You can see where the sand bags are protecting the whole site. They keep the mountain and wall from eroding away.”

Whether you’re looking for a glimpse back in time or just a way to enjoy the fresh air, a wander through the oases of Al Ain is definitely a trip worth making. You can find different brochures and maps of the oases at ADACH public visitor venues like Al Jahili Fort, the Al Ain National Museum, the National Theatre or ADACH headquarters. For more information, visit www.adach.ae.

The Al Ain National Museum

While you’re there, you really must pop into the National Museum right next to the oasis. Check out a few of the ancient artefacts that have been unearthed in the many archaeological sites around Al Ain and see how Emiratis once lived. This museum was built around the fort of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed the First, the father of HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who erected the edifice in 1910. Just across the road, you’ll also find an old-style souk – definitely worth exploring.

Enjoying the oasis

At each entrance to the oasis, you’ll see a sign posted that outlines rules for anyone visiting the site. If you don’t read Arabic, here’s what you should know:

• The monitored gates are open from 6am to 6pm
• Please do not remove any palm trees or other foliage from inside the oasis
• Please do not plant anything new inside the oasis
• Please keep the oasis clean and put all your trash in rubbish bins
• If you see any trees afflicted by disease, please contact the authorities
• Burning of any kind is not allowed inside the oasis

Laura Fulton