Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain Museum has launched its first temporary exhibition since the museum’s revival by AD100 Sumaya Dabbagh, with ‘Harat Al Hosn: A Landscape of Memory’, illuminating the history of the historic Harat Al Hosn neighbourhood. The showcase brings together rare archaeological artefacts and immersive technology in a celebration of the city-state’s enduring heritage.
Originally founded in 1969 as the first museum in the United Arab Emirates, Al Ain Museum serves as the country’s premier repository of archaeological and ethnographic information, holding a collection of objects that traces the continuous human habitation of Al Ain from the Palaeolithic period to the present day. At the same time, it also serves as a key hub for visitors looking to explore the region’s multiple UNESCO World Heritage List sites, along with many other cultural landmarks across the city, some of which date back 300,000 years.
The Al Ain Museum was temporarily closed in July 2018 to undergo extensive restoration and redevelopment works, undertaken by the Dubai-based RIBA Chartered Dabbagh Architects. However, during the redevelopment, new archaeological finds were discovered below the museum site. A decision was made to preserve these discoveries, incorporating them into the new experience. Reopened last month, it is now once again welcoming visitors.
“The reopening of Al Ain Museum marks a new chapter in celebrating our shared heritage,” Omar Salem Al Kaabi, Director of Al Ain Museum, told AD. “Our vision is for the museum to be the starting point of a wider journey; one that inspires visitors to explore the remarkable landscapes, ancient tombs, and architectural landmarks of Al Ain Region with a deeper appreciation of their enduring value to human history and local heritage.”
“Our inspiration came from the site itself,” explained Sumaya Dabbagh, founder of Dabbagh Architects. “When the archaeological discoveries emerged, they revealed a narrative far richer than any of us anticipated. As a result, the architecture was woven around the discoveries and historic structures, enabling them to remain central rather than overshadowed. Rather than replicate the traditional or impose the contemporary, we allowed each to inform and elevate the other.”
“Externally, the courtyards and open spaces are carefully carved from the architectural forms, guiding visitors through the site while maintaining a constant visual and spatial connection with the existing historic structures,” she continued. “Internally, the archaeology galleries – such as the Aflaj, Tomb, and Wells galleries – are designed to give these discoveries the prominence and majesty they deserve. Visitors can experience the excavations up close, immersing themselves in the textures and spatial qualities of the vestiges, while a network of upper walkways and bridges offers a contemplative, panoramic perspective.”
Located at the eastern edge of Al Ain Oasis, Harat Al Hosn was once a vibrant and vital community, built around Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Fort. As the inaugural exhibition of this new era for Al Ain Museum, ‘Harat Al Hosn: A Landscape of Memory’ pays tribute to the historic neighbourhood, inviting visitors to explore the neighbourhood’s evolution through its architecture, the lives of those who called it home, and its deep connections to both the land and water that sustained it. Today, only archaeological traces and oral histories remain.
“‘Harat Al Hosn: A Landscape of Memory’ embodies our commitment to preserving the stories of Al Ain’s people through innovative digital experiences,” said Al Kaabi. “This exhibition connects past and present, honouring a neighbourhood that once stood at the heart of the city and inspiring future generations to value the traditions that shaped it.”
“In curating this exhibition, our goal was to breathe life into the memory of 'Harat Al Hosn',” curator Aisha Khansaheb explained, “not only through archaeological discoveries and historic photographs, but through the voices and stories that still echo in the community”.
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The exhibition follows the transformation of Harat Al Hosn from the early 20th century – a period of rapid growth for the area – to the 1970s and 1980s, when residents relocated to new housing developments elsewhere in the city. Highlights include excavated hand-moulded mud and straw bricks – providing tangible evidence of how traditional homes were once built in Al Ain, some of which still show the fingerprints of their makers – as well as coins dating back to the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, demonstrating the wider trade networks and Gulf-wide connections of Al Ain.
Traditional household tools and pottery also feature prominently, reflecting elements of daily life of Al Ain residents. These include Julfar pottery vessels from Ras Al Khaimah, discovered near a traditional date press, alongside displays of everyday tools used by the women of the neighbourhood in embroidery, coffee making, and even hair braiding, representing the creativity, hospitality, and social cohesion of Harat Al Hosn.
