You may think that nothing existed in Abu Dhabi bar barasti huts and sand tracks before the 1960s, but archaeological findings are proving otherwise. Abu Dhabi Week digs deep to unearth the Emirate’s rich history
The year is 1958 and the discovery of oil in the Emirate has been made. But the year 1958 also sees another historic event – the arrival of Danish archaeologists, invited by the rulers of Abu Dhabi, to not only make history, but also find it.
The Emirate has been a hive of archaeological activity ever since, and with good reason. Just two weeks ago, a team of archaeologists uncovered yet more historical sites, bringing the total number of discoveries to 40 on one area alone – Sir Bani Yas Island.
“Sir Bani Yas Island is a fantastic example of the Emirate’s extensive history,” says Dr Joseph Elders, archaeological director of the Sir Bani Yas Monastery Project.
“Despite the fact that the island has very limited natural water supplies, unlike neighbouring Dalma Island, it has homed many inhabitants over thousands of years. Many people set up home there.”
One piece of evidence of civilisation on the island is the 6th century Christian monastery – the only early Christian site known in the UAE – where remains are still being unearthed.
Keen to find out more about the monastery and the island’s history, we jump in the car for the two-hour drive to Jebel Dhanna port where we catch the boat across to the picturesque natural island.
The water is anything but calm when we board the boat, and despite the journey taking only 20 minutes from the mainland, we wonder quite how inhabitants survived on such islands before the likes of powered boats made land more accessible. We calm our stomachs by trying to dolphin spot, but the waters are even to rough for them on this particularly windy day. Thankfully, the boat makes it across the water in one piece and we gladly jump to shore.
The monastery site – thought to have been built by the Church of the East (also known as the East Syrian Church) is not too far from the island’s shoreline, with a clear view across to the water and the island’s natural bay.
“The natural sand bank acts as a buffer from the sea and would have certainly eased arrivals from fishermen and traders. The bay is also quite sheltered; the site has a clear view of the bay, designed so that the inhabitants could see who was arriving at any time,” says Dr Elizabeth Popescu, deputy director of the Sir Bani Yas archaeological site.
“The monastery would have been a good stop off point for travellers; similar sites would have been placed all along the coast up to Oman,” Elders adds.
The site itself, discovered by the team in 1992, is now open to the public. Even those who may find a pile of rocks and rubble not the most exciting thing to witness may be swept up by the very real, human elements of its history. We’re amazed to see the smudges and imprints of fingers, where plasterwork has been finished off, and we spot the charred semi-circle on the ground in one of the monastery’s rooms, where bread would have been baked. There are freshly found fragments of colourful pottery on the ground – a trace of the island’s trading background.
“We have found pottery from India and Iraq – clear evidence that the island was on one of the major trade routes. The interesting fact is that Abu Dhabi certainly played a big role in history. It makes complete sense too - the Gulf joins all major routes,” Elders adds.
Dr Popescu has worked on the island since 1992 with the arrival of the last troupe of archaeologists. She appears to have the same enthusiasm for the project.
“It’s been fantastic to really watch this site reveal itself. We can work out so much about the people’s lives here on the island. Not just from the building foundations left behind, but from food remnants, glass, pottery and more,” she says, showing us past a new wall, uncovered just days ago.
Elders agrees. “We not only have evidence of the type of life lived by these people, but the languages spoken [several languages in fact], their diet, their livelihood, their arrival and their departure from Sir Bani Yas.”
The Christian monastery is thought to have homed 30 to 40 monks who would have come to the island to spread the message of Christianity.
We’re shown a drawing of how the church would have once looked. It’s very traditional in style, and we’re told that it was highly decorated with plaster crosses.
“What’s particularly lovely about some of the plaster found is the intricate patterns, blending Christian symbols with images of palm leaves and other clear UAE symbols,” explains Popescu.
“There’s certainly a very clear indication of the tolerance of the people,” adds Elders. “The monastery survived a century – it was founded just before Islam, and lasted up until 750 AD perhaps. There was certainly no discourtesy shown between religions.”
It’s this same remarkable investigative spirit that has helped identify other sites - both here and on the mainland - that have helped people uncover the rich history of culture and heritage in Abu Dhabi and the surrounding area.
“Since being invited back to the Emirate in 1992, we found three islands of particular historical interest – Dalma Island, Sir Bani Yas and Umm an-Nar. But there is certainly much more out there. We’ve found plenty of evidence of Bronze Age and Stone Age settlements – of all periods in fact across Abu Dhabi and the UAE,” explains Elders.
“Sir Bani Yas Island for example was in use right up until the 1930s when the pearling industry died. From the 18th century we have evidence of new settlements, who actually sheltered in the abandoned monastery. A lot of inhabitants on Dalma Island had houses on Sir Bani Yas that they lived in each summer.
“Abu Dhabi has a very important and vibrant history. Piecing together the Emirate’s past helps preserve it for future generations to appreciate.”
The serene sand dunes of Abu Dhabi will explode into life this week as the 2011 Desert Challenge returns to the capital for the 21st edition of the annual cross-country rally spectacular
As the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship season-opener and the second round of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge now consists of four categories: cars, bikes, quads and trucks. Formerly known as the UAE Desert Challenge, it is renowned across the rally world as a gruelling test that identifies the world’s best racers.
“Tough competition is part and parcel of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and that is why we continue to attract the world’s best racers every year,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA Vice-president and Chairman of the Desert Challenge Organising Committee.
“Competitors come here in a bid to conquer Abu Dhabi’s Western Region, with its huge sand dunes and punishing terrain. Motorsport fans assemble from across the UAE and wider Middle East to witness the terrific show of power by man and machine as they seek to tame the fearsome wilds of the Empty Quarter, which we know as Rub Al Khali,” added Sulayem, who launched the event in 1991.
The first part of the Desert Challenge starts today with the competitors going through two long days of documentation and scrutineering as they determine the best routes for the five days of gruelling rally action which will take them across the entire Emirate as they traverse the Rub Al Khali, the Moreeb area and Liwa desert.
The Super Special Stage on Saturday (2nd April) will determine the starting order for the competitors, as well as marking the official start of the event, and then battle will commence, culminating in the final leg on 7th April as they race from Liwa to Abu Dhabi before the ceremonial finish and prize-giving.
This year, cross-country rally legends Leonid Novitskiy, Marc Coma and Stéphane Peterhansel will headline a world-class line-up of 99 competitors from 32 countries.
The reigning FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies champion Novitskiy is looking to defend his title after winning last year’s car category and says he is confident of defending his crown.
“The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is one of the world’s most testing rallies and winning it last year was a massive achievement for me,” said Team X-Raid’s Novitskiy, who will drive a BMW X3.
“The sand-based nature of the event means I must take a completely different approach to others races, where significant passes are run on gravel.”
Racing alongside Novitskiy for Team X-Raid will be Peterhansel, one of the most successful drivers to compete in the legendary Dakar rally with an impressive record of nine wins in both car and motorcycle categories.
Meanwhile, in the bike category, Spain’s reigning 2010 FIM Cross Country Rallies world champion Coma is looking to complete a hat-trick of Abu Dhabi victories on his KTM 450.
The foyer of the National Theatre in Abu Dhabi is once again buzzing, this time with an impressionist exhibition from Spanish artist Alicia Grau (Barcelona, Spain 1955). The exhibition closes on Saturday 2nd April so this is your last chance to get down there and have a look.
Her work is being shown as part of the ‘Hispanic Arabian Project’ supported by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage in collaboration with the Spanish embassy.
Her paintings are strongly textured oil on canvas, depicting simple childhood scenes in some work and streetscapes of Abu Dhabi in others. The childhood pictures in particular are enhanced by the thickness and texture of the paint, giving a sense of volume and depth and the light pastel colours add a nostalgic and dreamlike quality to the work.The image of a child playing with a kite on an empty beach evokes fond memories of innocence and play to the observer, and there is a strong sense of calm and space about the paintings.
Grau’s streetscapes of Abu Dhabi, however, do not benefit so much from the use of light colours, and combined with the lack of human subjects, seem more like a distant, passing view than a real engagement with the city and all its diversity. Technically skilled as they are, they do not draw the viewer in to the scene in the same extent as her other paintings.
Having said this, the exhibition is well worth a look.
With big plans for building new parks and refurbishing existing ones, Abu Dhabi is set to become a green city. We sat down with the UPC – and some parents in the park – to find out what’s coming
It's a gorgeous, sunny Thursday afternoon – the weather is spectacular and the weekend lies before us in all its lazy splendour, so as soon as the school bell rings we load up the kids and head for our new favourite park, the public playground on the Corniche.
Though this park has become a favourite of many since its opening several months ago, plenty of new parks are coming to the capital and several existing parks, such as Khalidiya Park, will be undergoing an environmental facelift at the same time.
The Urban Planning Council Abu Dhabi is working closely with a number of government officials on making the plan for the Emirate – the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 – a reality. As well as plans that affect building structures and streetscapes, the UPC are keen to ensure that the overall landscape meets a sustainable goal. And that landscape is looking particularly green.
“Our absolute number one policy aspiration is that by 2030, the public will have to travel no further than 350 metres to access a public space such as a park,” explains Michael Stott, a senior planner for UPC.
Stott is specifically working as part of the Public Realm Design Manual mandate – the latest plan to be revealed as part of the overall vision for the city. The manual was released just a few days ago and covers the visions, principals and policies for public spaces throughout the Emirate, including streets, pedestrian ways, bikeways, bridges, plazas, parkways and waterfronts.
At the forefront of each of these elements is the UPC’s sustainability drive, Estidama. “We’re working very closely with the Estidama team,” says Stott. “We’re working on delivering a new set of irrigation guidelines, so you’ll be able to see a physical design change in public spaces, as well as environmental changes.”
What sort of physical changes?
“What we’re trying to achieve is well-used space. With this in mind, we’re working on a small number of high quality spaces for Abu Dhabi. We’ll be looking at informal play, formal play and exploratory spaces. For example, we're looking at introducing new types of programming features in parks such as a 'sensory garden' as part of the revitalisation of the Corniche,” Stott explains.
“This ease of access also means that one day, you will be able to leave your house and walk along a shaded pathway to a public space, such as a park.”
In addition to building more parks, the UPC hopes to revamp Abu Dhabi’s current parks to make them sustainable, long-term spaces that work with the environment.
“We’re rethinking design features and elements that aren’t interactive. For example, current water features could be replaced with pop jets. We’re looking at different landscapes within current parks too; we’re taking inspiration from rocky landscapes, green spaces and wadis – using Al Ain as inspiration, we’re integrating nature into the community.”
In addition to the mainland, “underserved” communities such as the Khalifa Cities and Mohammed Bin Zayed will soon see these improvements, in accordance with plans of the Municipality
“The Municipality is progressing with formulating advanced plans for a set of landscaping projects. The goal is to strike a balance between the green area and population density in line with the international standards of urbanised housing that meets the residential, commercial, administrative, industrial, recreational and service requirements of various areas, in keeping with the need to conserve a healthy environment under the ultimate objective of ranking Abu Dhabi city side by side with the cosmopolitan cities of advanced countries,” said the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City.
Why so many changes? Because a city thriving with well-planned parks is great for the community for a lot of reasons – including finances.
It’s no secret that flats generally cost less to rent than villas – especially on the main island – but families may be encouraged to live in a flat if there’s a park right downstairs. “You can get a four-bedroom flat in an older building on the Corniche for around AED 200,000, but a villa in same area would cost more like AED 250,000 to 300,000,” says elysian Real Estate branch manager Shae Braithwaite.
More obviously, playing in the park helps kids to stay active, perhaps the number one method of preventing childhood obesity.
According to the World Health Organisation, children aged five to seventeen should engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for 60 minutes every day, and one way they suggest kids get moderate exercise is by playing in the park.
An addition to the exercise, going to the park adds a social element to play – for both the children and their care givers.
“I like going to the park with my friend and letting the kids play while we chat,” says Salma Falah, mother of Ahmed age seven and Sara age four, who takes her children to the giant park in Khalidiyah.
“When the children were babies, they would go to the park with their nanny, and she was able to meet with her friends who are also nannies while the children played together. It’s nice to see my kids mixing with children of different nationalities and backgrounds, too.”
Even better, the prevalence of parks helps keep kids safe. “We live in the middle of town and before, the only place for kids to play was in the street,” says Mark Madden, father of Justin age six and Luke age eight, visiting one of the newly opened parks near 9th/Al Falah Street.
“We used to see lots of kids playing in the parking lot and it was very dangerous for them – they would go chasing after a football and sometimes run out into the street – but now they have a place to play and we don’t have to worry nearly so much,” he adds.
Perhaps the best reason to take your kids to the park, though, is that most kids love it. “I love to go to the park every day,” says Hana, age five. “I like the swings and the tipper [see-saw] and one time I found a ladybug.”
The Garden City’s favourite theme park has improved in leaps and bounds – and there’s more to come
“Mummy, look at me! I'm doing a trick!” The shiny red motorcycle revs loudly as my youngest son screws up his face in determination, hunches forward and pops a wheelie.
Have I gone insane and let my five year old onto the back of a Harley trick bike? No – but this merry-go-round style kiddie attraction is fast becoming the best time he’s ever had. With all the glitz and glam of Ferrari World, it’s easy to overlook the UAE’s oldest amusement park but you can still have a great day out – for way less money – at Hili Fun City.
The sun is sinking lazily as we drive into Al Ain – I have no idea where I’m going but, as I’ve hoped, the brown tourist signs lead me directly to Hili Fun City without a hitch. The park only opens at 4pm, so we’ve missed the heat of the day.
Wednesday is Ladies Night at Hili Fun City and the park is already buzzing with activity. Though the park has been reduced in size from a gigantic 65 hectares to a much more user-friendly 20 hectares, there are still plenty of wide open spaces.
Unlike your typical amusement park, these lawns were made for lounging – several groups of ladies have brought blankets and picnics, setting up shop for the evening. Gorgeously landscaped, the park is arranged so that there are plenty of reasonably secluded spots where families can spread out and get comfortable.
You might think the rides would be empty on Ladies Night, but I’m reminded again of the foolishness of making an assumption as I see hoards of graceful, swishing Arab girls in high heels and perfect make up queuing for the thrill rides – the Hili Swinger, the High Flyer and the aptly named Twister Mountain are all rocking this evening.
Thankfully, there’s plenty on offer for the little ones. The minimum height for kiddie rides is generally 30in (76cm) up to 48in (122cm) for the slightly bigger attractions. Even better, of the 28 attractions on offer, admission to 25 of them are included in the very reasonable price of the entrance ticket.
Others like the pony, camel and boat rides cost a bit extra, but AED 10 seems a pretty small price to pay, I think, watching my oldest son navigate a remote controlled miniature dhow across the pond, threading the little boat through an arching stone.
Climbing into the Circus Swing – a smaller version of the Hili Swinger – the children squeal as the swings start to spin.
My little boys wave as they come by at what feels to them like rocket speed. “Hi mummy, bye mummy!” they call out in unison with every pass, the joke remaining equally as funny with the last rotation as it was the first.
It’s no wonder Hili Fun City is in such great shape these days – the park’s senior manager Viviane Paturel-Mazot tells us the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) officially took over operations in September 2010.
“TDIC’s ten year plan is being finalised now and further improvements will be unveiled soon,” says Viviane. “TDIC hopes to continue with the success that the first stage of renovation brought in 2009 which saw improvements in service and safety, brought more attractions, enhanced old ones and revamped the whole park.”
Having moved on, our new favourite ride is Sinbad’s Farm – the kids climb into the driver’s seats of vintage looking cars, steering us carefully through a farm of fibreglass animals. That the cars are fixed to rails is no deterrent to the children’s glee.
“Ta la! Bunnies!” points out my little chauffeur. “But Mummy they’re only glass but you have to be careful – don’t take off your seatbelt because there’s lions and tigers and bears. I’m a good driver.”
It’s not just the rides that are better these days – there’s a brand new live stage show featuring magicians, clowns, singers and dancers, plus lots of ways to stay active like the paddle boats, bicycles and a playground.
Everything in the toilets is new, clean and well maintained, and in some high traffic areas they’ve put down eco friendly Astroturf that looks real but uses way less water to maintain. They’ve also put in recycling bins alongside every trash can, and “all the benches are made 100 percent out of recycled plastic manufactured in Jebel Ali,” says Viviane.
While there are ten new attractions and several more in the works, some of what makes Hili Fun City great today is what made it great before the upgrades.
“This park has always been family friendly and it still is,” says Viviane. “The whole family can have a good time from the children to the grandparents. We’ve improved the barbeque grills as well, and we encourage people to bring their own food and have a leisurely day in the park.”
I haven’t packed a picnic, so we head over to one of the park’s two eateries, Station Plaza Restaurant. As we sit outside tucking into sandwiches, chicken nuggets and chips, we catch an accidental glimpse of a mother praying beside her small son in a secluded corner of lawn.
It’s a beautiful little moment – one other family attractions in the UAE isn’t likely to match.
In the wake of the Abu Dhabi Festival and WOMAD, we’ve been feeling all cultured and cerebral lately. Keeping the brain waves flowing, we got (just a little) dressed up and headed over to Manarat Al Saadiyat to check out the new Splendours of Mesopotamia exhibit.
Providing a taste of what’s to come in the much-anticipated Zayed National Museum set to open in 2014, this exhibit is an extraordinary look at the past. Though you’re welcome to examine the collection on your own, if you’ve got the time you might enjoy the hugely informative guided tour which is available in several different languages. Give them enough notice and the exhibit organisers can accommodate tours for groups and special language requests.
In the mood to savour the silence, we opted for the self-guided wander. It was astounding to imagine the civilisation that would have spoken this language and crafted these objects. We were especially touched envisioning the women who would have worn the jewellery we saw on display in a land so close but a culture so different. Even better, once our brains were full, we were able to head over to Al Fanr for a spot of dinner to satisfy our stomachs.
If looking isn’t enough, check out the range of lectures and workshops going on at Manarat Al Saadiyat to support the exhibit – make your own cuneiform tablet or let your kids try their hand at Mesopotamian metalworking. You won’t want to miss the Artful Afternoon
Tea either, where you can have a cuppa and a snack, see the exhibit and get creative with your new-found Mesopotamian inspiration.
