Al Ain, on the eastern edge of the United Arab Emirates, is an oasis town surrounded by high mountains. It has been continuously settled since 3000 BC and was once an important staging post on the caravan route to Oman. Today it is important for date growing and increasingly for tourism with its many oases and gardens and its long archaeological heritage. Visitors may also enjoy the traditional camel market which takes place every morning.
Museums and archaeology
A good place to start is the National Museum, which is divided into two sections covering archaeology and ethnography. The archaeology section includes articles from ancient tombs excavated in the town and surrounding area. It also has a display showing the working of the falaj, an ancient system of irrigation that is still in use in the town's oases today. The ethnographic section includes Bedouin jewellery, musical instruments and weapons as well as a series of photographs showing the country as it was 50 years ago, a surprising contrast with the oil funded high rise cities of today.
Outside the museum is the Eastern Fort, one of 18 forts in the city. Properly known as the Fort of Sheik Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan it was for many years the home of the former ruler of Abu Dhabi. The National Museum is open every day except for Monday and there is a small entry charge.
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