ADACH TO CELEBRATE THE INTERNATIONAL DAY
FOR MONUMENTS AND SITES
A trail through the Hili Oasis raises awareness about the diversity of the heritage in Al Ain and showcases the historic oasis architecture including large forts, defensive towers and fortified house
ABU DHABI 17th April 2011 – The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) is celebrating the International Day for Monuments and Sites, on April 18th where the public are invited to join a trail through the Hili Oasis, Al Ain.
In 1983, UNESCO designated April 18th at the request of ICOMOS (the International Council for Monuments and Sites) as the ‘International Day for Monuments and Sites’. This special day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the diversity of the world’s heritage and the efforts required to protect and conserve it. Each year, ICOMOS suggests a theme to be highlighted. This year the theme is the Cultural Heritage of Water.
The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH) will highlight how water has shaped the oasis culture of the Hili Oasis, allowed the civilization around it to thrive for millennia and how it impacts the heritage resources today. Through a vast and complex water management system, large extensions of land were farmed, larger populations were sustained, and surplus crops were traded, thus establishing Al Ain as a major crossing point in trade routes between Persia, Arabia, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.
In a region such as Abu Dhabi where water is scarce, protecting and guarding access to water has always been a matter of survival. As Dr Sami el-Masri, Deputy Director General for Arts, Culture and Heritage said: “The culture of water – managing and protecting it – has been essential in shaping the heritage of the Abu Dhabi Emirate of which oases are an important heritage asset. They are not only significant for their ecological value, but also for the important cultural value they hold, which is linked to a way of life that has survived until today. The historic architecture found within these oases was built to protect water sources, the inhabitants of the oases and their produce.”
To join in ICOMOS’s global celebration, ADACH is hosting an open-door day to explore the Hili Oasis in Al Ain on April 18, from 8:00-17:00. Visitors are invited to discover how water has shaped the oasis culture of the Oasis, allowed the civilization around it to thrive for millennia and how it impacts the heritage resources today.
Hili Oasis is located north east of downtown Al Ain. Starting from Bin Rayeh al Darmaki Tower (Rumailah Tower) on Mohammed bin Khalifa Street between Bani Yas and Al Athar Streets, the self-guided trail will lead visitors to view historic mud brick buildings such as the Hili watchtowers and Bin Hadi and Bin Hadheibah and Bin Rhamah al Darmarki houses, forts and mosque. On the way, visitors can admire the dense irrigated date palm gardens and the ingenuity of the ancestral falaj irrigation system, and try their hand at continuing on the tradition of making mud bricks by stopping by the Bin Hadi Workshop.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The trail through the Hili Oasis:
The trail will showcase the historic oasis architecture including large forts, defensive towers and fortified houses built to protect water sources, the inhabitants of the oases and their produce.
Hili Oasis
Located about 1 km southwest of Hili Archaeological Park, Hili is the second largest oasis in Al Ain covering a surface area of about 62 hectares. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Hili region has been inhabited and farmed since the Iron Age (1200 BCE). Not only were palm trees grown but also vegetables, fruits, and cereals. The oasis and its falaj system were of such importance to the families living there that they built two defensive watchtowers for protection. A number of historic mud brick buildings also survive within the oasis.
Bin Rayeh al Darmaki Tower (Rumailah Tower)
This large round tower stands by the east entrance to Hili Oasis. Though a high wall surrounds it, bin Rayeh al Darmaki Tower can be seen from a distance within the oasis, reflecting the importance of its unique position to protect the entrance to the oasis from any attack in the past.
Hamad bin Hadi al Darmaki House
A good example of the fortified houses that guarded oases, Bin Hadi Al Darmaki House displays the usual rectangular enclosure with a large square tower at one corner. Oral tradition appears to place the foundation of the building in the generation before the arrival of the family of Sheikh Zayed the First in Al Ain, i.e. around 1820 AD.
Major conservation works were undertaken by ADACH, under the supervision of the Departments of Conservation and of Historic Environment. Interventions were implemented in two phases in 2007 and 2010 and aimed to consolidate the building and conserve the historic surfaces without radically changing the archaeological appearance of the structure. The conservation of bin Hadi house has aimed to be a model project for conservation of earthen historic building in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Bin Hadi Workshop
Two workshops have been set up by ADACH in Al Ain, one of which is located in Hili Oasis. The Bin Hadi workshop operates as an earthen material production site and a training center. Mud bricks using local clay, sand and hay as well as mud plasters are produced here and used by ADACH in the conservation of historic buildings of Al Ain. The workshop is also a useful venue for apprentices to practice and hone their skills before working on authentic historic fabric as well as a space for conservators to test out repair methods or the performance of materials. The workshop is a means to preserve the building traditions that have shaped the heritage of the oases.
Hemaid bin Hadheibah al Darmaki House and Fort
Hemaid bin Hadheibah al Darmaki Fort is accessed through the bin Hadheibah farm. The fort is rectangular in plan; some parts of which remain attached to the building. To the north stands the house which is dated to about 260 years ago.
From October 2008 to March 2009 and in April 2010, both buildings underwent emergency conservation interventions. In the fort, areas that were affected by archaeological excavation were stabilized, support was given to the partition walls.
Juma'a bin Rhamah al Darmaki Fort and Mosque
Juma’a bin Rhamah al Darmaki Fort held an important strategic position to protect the population and the oasis, enabling the fort to play a prominent military role, in addition to its economic and social roles. It is believed that the fort dates back to the eighteenth century. The historic mosque is small in size and comprises a small courtyard and prayer room. It is now bound to the north by a modern mosque.
The Hili Watch Towers
At the north entrance of the Oasis are two fortified towers. Built just 56 meters apart, their purpose was to form a protective gateway to Hili and its vital water supply. Their strategic position meant that they played an important role in the 1950s conflict known as the “Hili attack.” Both towers were restored with locally found materials such as mud brick and palm trunks and fronds.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan Tower (Hili Watchtower 1) (8)
The tower stands on top of a man-made earth mound, and has the classic features of the defensive murabbaa or square tower. The ground floor has no windows and contains a wooden staircase leading to the battlements, from where guards kept watch over the surrounding area. This building was used by the Ruler’s Representative, whose task was to resolve any disputes arising between local families; he also taught their children to read and write, and versed them in the tenets of Islam.
Khalifah bin Nahyan al Darmaki Tower (Hili Watchtower 2) (Khalifa bin Nahayah al Darmaki Tower)
The 7.4m round watchtower known as seebat Khalifa Bin Nahyan dominates another earth mound of similar height and diameter. Like Sheikh Zayed Murabbaa, it protected the entrance to the village and its vital water supply.