Central Al Ain · Abu Dhabi
Al Jahili Fort
One of the largest historic forts in the UAE, built in the 1890s to defend the oasis and later the headquarters of the Oman Trucial Scouts. Restored to an unusually high standard, and now holding a permanent exhibition of Wilfred Thesiger's photographs of the Empty Quarter crossings. Free.
Why go
- Built in the 1890s; award-winning restoration
- Permanent Wilfred Thesiger photography exhibition
- Free entry, with a café and planted courtyards
- Part of the Cultural Sites of Al Ain UNESCO listing
The fort
Al Jahili's round stepped tower is the image most associated with Al Ain, and the restoration — which won architectural awards — kept the mud-brick construction visible rather than rendering over it. The courtyards are planted, there is a café, and it stays comfortable in the shade well into the warmer months.
Thesiger
The permanent exhibition holds a selection of the photographs Wilfred Thesiger took during his two crossings of the Rub' al Khali in 1946–48, travelling with Bedu companions. It is one of the best things in any UAE museum: the pictures are extraordinary, and they document a way of life that ended within a decade of them being taken.
Al Jahili Fort, answered
Is Al Jahili Fort free?
Yes, including the Thesiger exhibition. It closes on Mondays and opens only in the afternoon on Fridays.
Close enough to do on the same day
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