Abu Dhabi’s most important historic and cultural landmark, Al Hosn Cultural Site to be opened with days of celebrations and public events.
Abu Dhabi’s, Department of Culture and Tourism recently announced the grand opening of Al Hosn, a new cultural destination located in the heart of downtown Abu Dhabi, which will take place on 7 December 2018.
Al Hosn is the city’s original urban block and will comprise four interrelated components: the historic Qasr Al Hosn Fort, the Cultural Foundation, the National Consultative Council building, and the House of Artisans. The official launch will be a celebration of Abu Dhabi’s rich history and culture, with days of public programming to mark the occasion.
What to see at the Qasr Al Hosn
Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest and most significant heritage site in Abu Dhabi city, encompassing two iconic buildings: The Inner Fort dating back to around 1795 and the Outer Palace, which was built in the 1940s.
A witness to Abu Dhabi’s vibrant history, over the past two centuries it has previously been home to the ruling family, the seat of government, the consultative council, and the national archives. Now transformed into a museum following several years of rigorous and ambitious conservation works, Qasr Al Hosn is a national monument that traces the city’s development from a settlement reliant on fishing and pearling in the 18th Century, to a modern, global metropolis, with the fort now surrounded by Abu Dhabi’s skyscrapers and a dynamic downtown area.
The newly renovated premises of the Cultural Foundation will host a diverse visual and performing arts programme, alongside the opening of the first Children’s Library of its kind. To mark the occasion of its reopening in December, the Foundation’s Visual Arts Centre will present a landmark exhibition which will focus on the building’s history as a beacon for local artists. Cultural Foundation will re-open in phases with 7 December allowing access to the Visual Arts Centre, which will feature exhibition halls and art studios. The two remaining components – a theatre and the Children’s Library – will open in 2019.
Exhibition & Museum
The permanent exhibitions in these spaces will offer a multi-layered visitor experience, creating awareness of Qasr Al Hosn as the constant witness to Abu Dhabi’s narrative; providing insights into the lives of the men, women and children who lived in the Outer Palace; and exploring the story of the conservation of the Fort’s structures. The exhibitions will be brought to life by a permanent collection and mediations ranging from archival materials to audio-visuals and interactive experiences.
Public programming in the Qasr Al Hosn Fort area will include specialist tours such as archaeology, and architectural tours; re-enactments of aspects of daily life and rituals at the fort; a Majlis programme that will introduce the Fort’s visitors to the history and significance of the Majlis; and activities for children and youth.
Cultural Foundation
Founded by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1981, Cultural Foundation was the region’s first dedicated multipurpose non-profit cultural centre, conceived as a public institution with a mandate to foster all forms of intellectual and creative activity. It was the embodiment of Sheikh Zayed’s desire to nurture the cultural consciousness and identity of all citizens of the recently-formed nation of the UAE.
With the first National Library, a performing arts wing, and at its centre, an exhibition hall and art workshops, it became a home of culture, knowledge exchange, and debate for artists, poets, intellectuals and academics, and a beloved community space, a gathering place for friends and families. A beacon for the UAE and regional cultural scenes, the Cultural Foundation hosted many local and regional artists’ first exhibitions and became a window through which Abu Dhabi engaged with ideas and people from across the world.
House of Artisans
Located alongside Qasr Al Hosn and Cultural Foundation, House of Artisans will serve as a focal point for the promotion and preservation of the UAE’s intangible heritage. In 2011, UNESCO listed the Al Sadu [weaving] on its List of Intangible Cultural Elements for Urgent Safeguarding, and House of Artisans was founded as a coordinated effort to protect and support this and other traditional Emirati crafts and those who practice them.
House of Artisans will serve as a centre for not only preserving and displaying the traditional crafts of the United Arab Emirates, but will also enable the all-important transmission of knowledge and skills around these crafts, ensuring their future survival for generations to come. With a focus on the core skills of weaving, palm braiding, and embroidery, House of Artisans aims to bring these traditional crafts of the past to the heart of contemporary culture, and will offer training courses, educational workshops and other public events.
