Day 4 - The cradle of the Al Nahyan family

The Al Nahyan family, who has been ruling Abu Dhabi forever and who has been providing the President of the United Arab Emirates since 1971, is originally from Al Ain. Al Ain is located in the interior about 160 km from the capital Abu Dhabi and is the second largest city of the Emirate. It is the fourth city of the United Arab Emirates and the largest and most important inland city. It lies on the border with Oman and used to be an important stopover on the trade routes between Oman and the Gulf States. The 'father' of the Emirates and liberal and worshiped leader, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was born here and served as governor of Al Ain before he became the head of the Emirate.

Soon after our departure from Abu Dhabi, the green oasis of the capital turns into a desert landscape. The drive takes almost two hours ... by car. In the past, people were traveling for five days by … camel. Those camels used to be the only means of transport through the desert. When we arrive in Al Ain we first go to the so-called camel market of Al Ain. People talk about camels, but to be completely correct, they are dromedaries, that one hump J. Because dromedaries are also called Arabian one-humped camels, we will continue to call them camels for simplicity. That makes it a lot easier for me 😀. We have all learned about camels. And anyone who has been on holiday in the Middle East or North Africa has undoubtedly been tempted to take a ride on these animals. I certainly did. And believe me, you can also get seasick on 'the ship of the desert' 😉.

But did you know the following? Camels originally lived only on the Arabian Peninsula and then I am talking about thousands and thousands of years before Christ. The Egyptians took these animals to Egypt and when Egypt came under Roman authority, the latter provided for the further distribution over North Africa. Camels can live up to the age of 25. They are called the 'ship of the desert' because they have the perfect qualities to be used as a beast of burden in the desert. They can carry up to 300 kg and walk up to 40 km at the same speed without sleeping.They are fully adapted to life in the desert. They can spend a week without food and no less than 40 days without water. The fat in the hump is used for the production of moisture and energy, and calluses protect their feet against the warm sand.They love the warmth of the sand. They can further close their nostrils and their ears are covered with long hair to hold back the sand.

On this camel market hundreds of animals are waiting for a new owner. Camels are bought for various reasons: to breed, to serve as a bite on the barbecue, but also to participate in camel races. Currently there are no buyers on the market. This is apparently different in the morning. Then it is very crowded and lively discussions between potential buyers and the owners about the price take place. The price of such a camel depends on various factors. The age of the animal, of course, but also for which he has to serve. A camel that is eaten will not yield as much as one who will have to race or who needs to breed. Some camels are not in their coral but are kept separate. They are clearly agitated, the foam is literally on their lips, nothing that a female can not solve. But not only

camels can be found here: goats, sheep and chickens are also in the window for sale.

Al Ain is also called the 'garden city' because there is so much green to be found here, and it is the greenest city in all the Gulf States.

The city is built around seven oases with more than 70 parks and gardens. This is thanks to to the water coming from the surrounding mountains.
The biggest oasis is Al Ain Oasis, a pleasant green garden with beautiful date palms and fruit trees including mango, orange, fig and banana trees. Al Ain has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2011 thanks to the ancient irrigation system falaj where the water is distributed from the mountains via excavated canals.

That Al Ain was an important city on the former trade route is obvioius from the many defense forts in the city and the surrounding area. The most important and best known is the Al Jahili Fort. It was built by Zayed I between 1891 and 1898 to protect the city, the oases, the palm tree farmers and the water supply.

With walls made of clay of 90 cm thick, bordered with triangular battlements and round defensive towers on the corners including one gigantic with four floors, it is an impressive building and the symbol of the city.

Another historic building is the Al Ain Palace Museum which was built as a palace by the Al Nahyan family in 1937 and served as a residence for Sheikh Zayed until 1966. In 1998 it was opened as a museum. It is a lovely palace built around small inner gardens with beautiful colorful plantations and the obligatory water feature. The whole exudes absolute tranquility.

The rooms that are open include mainly meeting rooms, reception rooms and the kitchen. The palace emits not only tranquility but also simplicity. Hard to believe that this was the palace of one of the richest families in the world. No crystal chandeliers, gilded ceilings or expensive paintings on the walls.

The history of Al Ain is most evident in the Al Ain National Museum. Here you find archaeological pieces dating back to the Bronze Age. But the museum also takes a look at how life used to be, before the discovery of oil,  the hard life of the Bedouin.

Petroleum has changed everything for the Emirati. It is now maybe hard to understand that before the discovery of oil in the 1960s, the Emirates were impoverished, deprived areas in the Gulf region. Life was hard. Now, 50 years later, they are one of the fastest growing economies and one of the most developed regions in the world. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nayhan was indeed a man with a vision. A beloved leader who shared his oil fortune with his subjects and also for a part with the rest of the world, because his charity reached beyond the borders. A visionary man who loved simplicity. He lived soberly, he traveled soberly what made him even more beloved. That becomes all too clear in Al Ain. At best, we would call his palace the better bungalow. Neat but simple. Cozy and cute but no palace as we know it. A man without fuss but the perfect leader for his people.