Travelling back in time at the Qasr Al Hosn Festival

The smell of gahwa is unmistakable. Coffee pots with long spouts like sea birds’ necks are sitting in a fire’s embers, the focus of a group of men relaxing on the soft sand. In front of them, a man and a woman, dressed in white and black, sit high on camels, accompanied by two men, singing and holding camel sticks. As scenes go, it’s less familiar than the men herding camels in camps near Al Wathba off the road to Al Ain, but the tableaux at the Qasr Al Hosn Festival have been staged to evoke impressions of the past.

There’s a smiling fisherman inviting children to haul in a traditional circular net (casting it is left to his expertise); men sit weaving fishing pots out of metal wire, others are mending fishing nets; but most impressive are the 60-somethings still able to shin up a palm tree barefoot to gather dates. Meanwhile, women in old Khaleeji dress keep shop in souqs, cluster together to weave baskets from khous and chat over their embroidery, as small boys kick a football outside.

The festival also has plenty of activities to spice up the scenic drama. Fancy a pony or camel ride? Both are hugely popular. Want to have a go at tying knots to rope together palm struts in an arish house? How about finding out more about the species of fish in the Gulf, or the migration routes of falcons? Want to have your photo taken in a gold Khaleeji burqa and shimmering shayla? Anything’s possible and there are plenty of Emiratis, expats and tourists enjoying the story being told about Abu Dhabi’s beginnings with a host of friendly ambassadors acting as narrators.

Original article by Clare Dight

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Travelling back in time at the Qasr Al Hosn Festival