Visitors to Abu Dhabi could be excused for thinking that the city was never anything other than the thriving metropolis it has become in recent years. Even for those of us who live here, it’s sometimes difficult to look beyond the glass and metal high-rises and contemplate a very different past. The annual Qasr Al Hosn Festival, which continues until February 13, is an important symbol of both the tangible and intangible heritage of the city and the emirate, and the counrty at large.
First, it is a celebration of Qasr Al Hosn itself. The oldest stone structure in the capital is a reminder that, although largely undeveloped in the modern sense, the island of Abu Dhabi was strategically and politically important for hundreds of years before the discovery of oil.
The renovation of the fort over the past few years has been something of a revelation to many people. The facade made of gypsum and cement that gave rise to the nickname “the white tower” dates back only three decades. The recent removal of the facade – which was found to be contributing to corrosion within the original structure – has revealed centuries-old coral and sea-stone masonry, which is being painstakingly restored.
What visitors will see over the next 10 days is a physical reminder of how earlier generations used materials that were readily available to build a robust structure that served an important purpose and has stood the test of time. Built in the mid-18th century as a watchtower to protect a freshwater source on the site, it became a command quarters for those engaged in the pearling trade, and a residence for many generations of the ruling family.
Qasr Al Hosn reminds us not just of its distinguished former occupants, but of the craftsmen who created the tower and its associated structures, the soldiers who defended it, and the pearl fishers, merchants and others who inhabited the community that surrounded it. It helps us understand their technical skills, their traditions and the way they lived their lives.
It also reminds us that we are the custodians of Abu Dhabi’s culture and heritage, and that it is our privilege and duty to acknowledge the contribution of those who were here before us. And we can do that by enthusiastically embracing all that this year’s festival has to offer.