As Abu Dhabi powers forward, the upcoming Qasr Al Hosn festival gives us chance to look back at its roots.
It’s hard not to feel proud of Abu Dhabi. In less than a lifetime, the city has transformed from a fishing village into a multicultural metropolis and international aviation hub.
But while we applaud its aviation and architecture, finance and fine dining restaurants – all results of the Government’s development plan, Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 – this festival reminds us of the Emirate’s heritage as we race into the future.
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Cultural Authority launched Qasr Al Hosn in 2013, and 55,000 visitors flocked to experience it.
This year it will be back from February 20 to March 1. Throughout the 10-day celebration, a number of interactive workshops, guided historical tours and demonstrations of traditional Emirati skills will honour the emirate’s heritage and identity.
The festival is an opportunity to watch traditional wedding preparations, shop for artisanal arts, crafts, perfume and honey at a traditional souk and learn how to make camel saddles with wool and date palm fibre. You can also learn how to make bokhor – incense made with essential oils and natural fragrances – while kids can play stick, hoop and clapping games.
Butti Al Muhairi, a member of the festival team, says, ‘Qasr Al Hosn is like going back 100 years. You don’t have to visit the desert to experience traditional customs – because the festival brings desert life back to the city.
‘The festival is divided into four themes. You can experience Bedouin life in the desert, so you might learn how to ride a camel or listen to storytellers. Marina teaches you about pearl diving and fishing techniques while Oasis has demonstrations of traditional basket weaving. Abu Dhabi Island gives you the chance to visit old souks.’
For the first time in years, Qasr Al Hosn – a fort dating from the 1700s – will be open to the public during the festival, giving visitors a rare opportunity to explore its interior while it is renovated.
The highlight of the festival will be Cavalia, an equestrian acrobatic show created by Normand Latourelle, who was one of the four original co-founders of Cirque du Soleil. The creative director from Quebec in Canada, says, ‘I left Cirque du Soleil because I wanted to create my own show. Soon after, I staged Legendes Fantastiques, which featured a single horse. The horse captivated the audience, so I decided to create an equestrian spectacle – but it took 10 years for Cavalia to develop from an idea to a show. I’ve adapted the production especially for the UAE.’
So take a step back in time to see what made Abu Dhabi the place it is today.
Qasr Al Hosn
Otherwise known as Al Hosn Palace or White Fort, you might be forgiven for thinking Qasr Al Hosn on Hamdan Street is called Fort Knox, because it’s been closed to the public and boarded up for as long as many of us can remember, while undergoing a renovation.
Built from seashells, coral and stone in the mid-1700s, Qasr Al Hosn was originally a solitary watchtower with the purpose of protecting the fresh water sources discovered on Abu Dhabi Island by the Bani Yas tribes of Liwa Oasis.
A settlement of palm frond huts grew around it, and around 1795 Sheikh Shakhboot bin Diyab added three more towers and defensive fortification walls, expanding it into a fort. Cannons were added during the 19th century when the Trucial States were formed and the pearling industry boomed in the Gulf.
When oil was discovered in 1958, the ruling Al Nahyan family developed the fort further and it became a palace. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan reserved the premises exclusively for government administration around 1966, then ordered further renovations between 1976 and 1985 – which included adding layers of cement to the outer walls for aesthetic purposes.
After a stint as headquarters for the police and Centre for Documentation and Research, in 2007 the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) closed the former palace and a comprehensive renovation project began.
A team of archaeologists have been working on it since. Peter Sheehan, a historic buildings manager for TCA Abu Dhabi, says, ‘With little written history, we have to rely on other documentation such as archaeological finds, photos and building plans from the 80’s to tell us the story of Qasr Al Hosn.
‘Since I arrived in 2007, my team and I have found structural remains underground and discovered that the whole building has sunk as the ground level has risen. This means the structure is only a metre above the sea, so rising damp is an issue. The cement applied to the walls in the 80’s traps in that moisture, and the condensation is made worse by the air conditioning system also added in the 80’s. We need to carefully remove the layers of cement to expose the original coral bricks and mortar to let it breathe, but that’s difficult to do without damaging the coral. There’s also the ethical issue of restoration, as harvesting coral damages reefs so we need to source alternative local materials.
‘The first, investigative stage of restoration is the slowest, and that’s coming to an end. Soon we will start documenting what we’ve found and using the knowledge we’ve learnt.’
TCA Abu Dhabi can’t give a date for the end of the restoration project, so it could be years before Qasr Al Hosn is open to the public – so make sure you catch a glimpse of the interior during the festival.
Cavalia
Cavalia is a fabricated word devised by combining the Spanish term for horse, caballo, with the French cheval and the English word cavalry.
The show debuted in 2003 and since then over four million people have seen it – but this will be Cavalia’s first performance in the Middle East.
The equestrian ballet features 50 horses and 50 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians who will perform in a 2,440sqm big top tent that rises 35m high – the height of a 10-storey building. The 50m stage will allow the horses space to gallop at full speed, at times without bridles or halters.
Fairland Ferguson, a stunt rider from the US, tells us what to expect. ‘The production has been especially adapted to reflect UAE culture, so you will see pearl diving acts and costumes inspired by traditional dress,’ she says. ‘But the basic storyline remains the same. The show explores the relationship between humans and horses by loosely recounting the evolution of this bond.’
Each act will be enhanced by special effects and digital images projected on to a 60m screen. Stunt rider Yoann Levesque explains how the acts differ. ‘The opening act, Historical Caravan, will introduce the horses as we tell the story of how the Emirate’s early settlers arrived in the city,’ he explains. ‘In Roman Riding, a stunt rider will stand on two horses as they race around the stage. Freedom from the Desert is a dressage act in water, while An Encounter with Horses is a livery act which will see the equestrian director, Benjamin Aillaud, direct six unbridled Arabian horses around the stage simultaneously.
‘During Grande Chevauchée and Liberty, a trainer will direct the horses from the ground using voice commands, body language and gentle strokes, encouraging the horses to stand on their hind legs, walk backwards or twirl around. Fantasia is the most popular, most memorable act, as it involves a number of tricks at high speed – so you might get to see artists jumping on to horses, riding a horse one-legged or doing the death drag, where they lean off a horse as it gallops. The final act is Splash, where all the performers appear on stage at the same time.’
The show will star horses from France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada, the United States and Australia. The 11 equestrian breeds include a Miniature called Troubadour. At eight hands tall – about 3ft – he’s the smallest horse in the show, and he just happens to be buddies with the show’s tallest. Merlin, a Percheron, is 18 hands tall – look out for him in Fantasia; he’s the one with hair that’s grey with white spots.
Cavalia at Qasr Al Hosn will be performed 4pm and 8pm February 22 to March 1. Tickets start from Dhs150 for kids, Dhs250 for adults. Buy them from www.ticketmaster.ae, selected Virgin Megastores or by calling 800 86 823. For more details, visit www.cavalia.net.
What’s on
Butti says, ‘Historical tours last 30 minutes and take place every half an hour from 4pm to 10pm – meet your guide at the booking desk. The rest of the events will take place 4-10.45pm daily, so there will be plenty of opportunities to see and experience each activity.’
Abu Dhabi Island
For the first time you can take a guided tour inside the fort, giving you the opportunity to see the restoration project in action. Your guide will inform you about the fort’s origins as a watchtower and journey to its current status as an architectural centrepiece of Abu Dhabi’s heritage, while an interactive exhibition of audio-visuals, photographs, models and timelines will bring it alive. You can also enter a police house and meet the police officers who used to protect the fort and the Sheikhs, listen to their stories and watch them march.
Kids can collect an explorer’s pack before searching for ancient relics on a mini archaeological dig, and experts will be on hand to explain their findings. The whole family, meanwhile, can explore the palace courtyard, former inner fort, historic watchtower and council chambers, and get a photo with the fort in the background.
A programme of workshops and activities will highlight traditional Emirati arts and crafts. Watch horseriding, cookery and hair braiding demonstrations, experience henna and listen to storytellers, or browse the traditional souq for authentic, handwoven bags, Emirati honey and traditional clothes. Conservationists will lead workshops on the fort’s archaeology, after which you’ll have the chance to try building restoration techniques.
The Desert
In the desert area, you can learn about Abu Dhabi’s Bedouin heritage and etiquette inside a Bedouin tent. Find out about sadu and telly weaving and embroidery techniques, join workshops on burga making and try your hand at the traditional method of dyeing kandoura. You can also sign up for a cookery class, try your hand at camel milking and make butter the traditional way in goatskins.
Love coffee? You may well ditch your daily Starbucks once you’ve learnt how Arabic coffee is made in a coffee ceremony. A local will tell you about the traditional gahwa method, and you’ll learn where to source the best coffee beans, how to smash and boil them and the type of pot you should roast them in.
After that, you’ll have the chance to watch falconry displays and hold a falcon, stroke a saluki and ride an Arabian horse. There will also be performances of traditional Emirati music, al yowla – the UAE’s traditional victory dance – specially commissioned plays, desert storytelling sessions and poetry-telling around a camp fire.
Don’t forget to visit the endangered houbara bird, once the prey of falcons in the desert, and learn about the UAE’s conservation efforts to save the species from extinction.
Marine
In the marine area you will have chance to learn about Abu Dhabi’s fishing and pearling past aboard a traditional dhow first-hand, from men who dived for pearls for a living. Listen to their Nahhameen sea chants, then watch demonstrations in dhow building, pearl diving, fish salting and how to make a handmade sail.
During scheduled workshops, experience being a fisherman for a day as you craft paddles, fish nets and traps, learn how to build a shasha rowing boat out of date palm or watch how to open oysters – tweet us @timeoutabudhabi if you find a pearl.
You can also see sustainable fishing equipment as you watch fishermen make al gargour – baskets with palm fronds – which let small fish swim free, and kids will love meeting turtles and learning about their protected status.
The Oasis
Walk through the healing garden in the oasis area to discover the medicinal properties of the UAE’s indigenous plants.
Emirati women will teach the art of palm weaving while tree climbers and rope makers demonstrate their ancient skills – first they roll date palm fibres to create ropes, then climb trees with them to harvest dates. In the oasis clearing meanwhile, you can listen to experts give talks about the history of dates in the region before sampling varieties.
Entry is Dhs10. For more info or to book workshops, visit www.qasralhosnfestival.ae.
Living the dream
•Animal lovers needn’t worry about the horses in Cavalia because the team behind the show tip toe around them as if they’re divas
•The horses are pampered daily with massages, showers and paddock outings, and get to relax in air conditioned stables where they have space to stretch, lie down, sprawl out, roll and relax. They always have the same neighbours to ensure their environment is familiar even when they’re jet-setting around the world, and large windows inside each stall allow them to see and communicate with their fellow rockstar pals.
•Each horse performs for just eight minutes a day. The rest of the day includes warm-ups, an hour’s practice, breaks, two hours’ play time and free time. They even get their hair done – their manes are plaited for the shows.
•Before, during and after transport, the horses are groomed by a 20-person team of trainers, vets, health technicians, grooms and farriers, or hoof care specialists.
•Each year the horses consume 17,500 bales of hay, 16,550kg of grain and 795kg of carrots.
