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Al Ain Oasis heritage site open to public
Situated in the heart of the ancient city, Al Ain Oasis is one of the world's oldest permanently inhabited settlements that dates back to more than 4,000 years
- PUBLISHED: Sat 5 Nov 2016, 5:37 PM UPDATED: Sat 5 Nov 2016, 7:41 PM
Shaikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region, has opened the Al Ain Oasis to the public as the UAE's first Unesco world heritage site.
Situated in the heart of the ancient city, Al Ain Oasis is one of the world's oldest permanently inhabited settlements that dates back to more than 4,000 years. It covers over 1,200 hectares and contains more than 147,000 date palm trees, of up to 100 different varieties. Adjacent to Al Ain National Museum to the East and Al Ain Palace Museum to the West, the oasis is known by its unique falaj irrigation system of narrow waterways that infiltrate fresh spring water from the nearby Hajar Mountains, to nurture the date farms.
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In 2011, Al Ain was the first site in the UAE to be inscribed on Unesco's world heritage site list, comprising of four locations: The Bronze-Age Hafit Tombs, the archaeological settlements at Hili, the prehistoric vestiges at Bidaa Bint Saud, and the six lush oases of Al Ain, including Al Ain Oasis.
Shaikh Tahnoun toured Al Ain Oasis, where he witnessed the developments and improvements implemented by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) to upgrade the Al Ain Oasis visitor experience and accessibility, introducing interpretive tools like the Eco-Centre to better understand the oasis' ecosystem, its historic evolution, and its significance for Abu Dhabi's heritage and civilisation. The centre also showcases the environmental standards followed to preserve the oasis' ecosystem, which goes back to the third millennium BC, and perhaps even earlier.
He also visited the Miniature Oasis, an interactive experience that mimics the real oasis in the palm grove. In addition, the Al Ain Oasis Plaza will feature restaurants, cafes and shops selling products and produce derived from the oasis.
The opening was attended by Shaikh Hazza bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Under-Secretary of the Court of the Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region; Shaikh Khalifa bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Director of The Martyrs' Families' Affairs Office at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court; Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of TCA Abu Dhabi and a number of officials from the Court of the Abu Dhabi Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region, TCA Abu Dhabi and other government bodies.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com