Qasr Al Muwaiji

Qasr Al Muwaiji was built early in the twentieth century in the Al Muwaiji oasis, a square mudbrick enclosure with a corner tower, and it became the residence of the ruling family in Al Ain; Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed was born inside it in 1948. The restoration completed in 2015 inserted a modern glass and steel pavilion within the courtyard holding the exhibition, so the historic walls remain empty and legible. The Al Muwaiji oasis around it is part of the UNESCO listing of the cultural sites of Al Ain.

What you actually see

• The glass pavilion - a modern exhibition building inserted inside the historic courtyard.
• The mudbrick walls - the square enclosure and corner tower of the original fort.
• The exhibition - the history of the fort, the family and the Al Ain oases.
• The Al Muwaiji oasis - the surrounding palm gardens, an inscribed part of the UNESCO property.

When to go

October to April for comfortable walking. It closes on Mondays and opens late on Fridays. Mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

The historic rooms are deliberately left empty and the content is all in the modern pavilion, which not everyone expects. It is small and a short visit. Parking in the district is limited.

Nearby

Al Jahili Fort is east, and Al Ain Oasis is beyond it.