We enjoyed the fort a great deal. Very easy to find parking, the security personnel were very helpful...and it was a free venue. There is a very nice visitor center with a movie that describes the history and how the fort was restored. The fort and tower were easily accessible...my only critique is that some period pieces would make the experience a little better. My favorite part was the exhibit that had a great many of the old pictures from the early days. December is a great time to visit...the weather was perfect.

Great experience.If you are a tourist then you should definitely consider visiting Al Jahili Fort.It is in the middle of Al Ain city and a tour in the Fort will take you around an hour.You can watch two short movies and do a tour walking around the place seeing the tour and the fort.Highly recommend.

Another amazingly well done exhibit on Emirati culture. Come for a tour, experience authentic early Arabia....then grab a Starbucks and relax in the gorgeous Jahili Park next door.

A calm and serene place in the middle of AlAin. Visit here for a quick view of the old fort which has been through a makeover for preservation. Check out the old quarters, rooms, well, storage silos and watchtower. Nice for some cool selfies. Also features an exhibition by a British explorer by the name Mubarak bin London. Free entry and parking.

The fort is quite simple and small. It was also very quiet when we visited. The architecture of the fort is nice and you can make some really nice pictures there. So when you are in Al Ain it is worth it to drop by. You will spend around 30 to 40 minutes at the fort. The entrance fee is free.

Very good for history lovers. The most important place in Al Ain for culture and history. Beautiful fort. Staff were very friendly. Good idea to watch the 15 min documentary in the information centre area to get a good background and grasp of the importance of the fort. Exhibition is very fascinating.

Well preserved and restored using traditional building methods and materials.Free to enter. Pleasant walk around the turret and inner courtyard and an interesting museum display inside.A nice hour spent

Great piece of history and the restoration project was quite impressive. Definitely take your time through the Mubarak bin London exhibit.

Great place. As forts and historic sites come in this region this one is one of the best. The fort is absolutely beautiful with a very well served team and staff that welcome you and inform you on the whole site. There are usually exhibition on display that are very arty and informative. We were there late afternoon, but I think if you attend in the evening with all the spot lights enhancing the whole mysterious Arabic feeling it will be jaw dropping beautiful. We did feel some additional info on the fort would give it 5 stars, all the rooms were empty with no descriptions, perhaps this is something they plan on doing in the future. If they could spend the same time and effort on this fort as the one in Abu Dhabi it would be awesome.

Authoratian of UAE has projected their culture perfectly and rebuild the fort with the mix and modern & ancient material of construction.

Great place to stop by if you are in Al Ain area. The Al-Jahili Fort, like the others, it has been restored and it looks great. We particularly liked the setting with the large surrounding gardens. It has a small museum with dates and Arabic coffee for visitors( aircon is on 👍) .

An important place to visit when in Al Ain; from humble beginnings to the powerhouse that UAE has become, this palace spins its tale of old, and is an story that we found immensely interesting

Traditional fort in Al Ain, UAE

Nice friendly staff, saw video of Fort Construction inside the Fort.Cooling system in the wall is Extraordinary.

Definitely what I liked the most in Al-Ain was Al Jahili fort which was built in 1890s, because of the feel of the old arabic history. It was beautifully restored recently (all with mud and hay as in the time it was made originally). The local guy who works there gave me excellent information about the fort, even he played me a 20 minutes restoration video. Later on I went for a walk in the old chambers with unusual shapes and I saw their nice deep real water well. Its a lovely and well preserved heritage. In their yard they have nice Safari type cars, which added to its charm.What the place doesnt have in my opinion is one room with arabic rugs and old kitchen tools so I can see how locals used to live there previously. In that way it would be perfect. But anyway I had excellent time there.Definitely would recommend it.Daily its open 9am-5pm except on Mondays, and on Fridays its 3pm-5pm.What is also important: THE ENTRANCE IS FREE OF CHARGE

I visited this fort with my family to watch a show arranged there. It was an awesome experience. The fort was decorated and lit well with great ambience.The show was managed by Emirati youth and they were showing great hospitality and cooperating.

Al jahili fortDuring this fort visit I understood Arabian fort look like and able to. understand building techniques. they used to bullied this fort by using palm tree ! It’s museum too ( u can see old military vehicles and tools )

Great place for a short visit. There is very little to do or see, largely because it is so unspoilt and as it was when still a fort. There is a section with a good exhibition of stories, photographs and artefacts about a mid century Lawrence of Arabia type adventurer. Very interesting.

Great afternoon at the Fort, the photo exhibit is a must-see!

Al Jahili Fort is one of the largest castles in Al Ain and best-in-class example of local military architecture. Historically, Al Jahili Fort is of great importance as it is well associated with the history of the Al Nahyan Family.Inside a permanent exhibition is devoted to Wilfred Thesiger, the English explorer and traveller, who had been accommodated in Al Ain by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan several times during the 1940s.The original part of Al Jahili Fort consists of two buildings, a square courtyard of approximately 1,300 sq metres with 6.5 metres tall walls, and a separate round tower, 50 metres south-west away from the castle, composed of four concentric tiers. The design of the separate tower is significant since it resembles the construction of one of the towers from the Bronze Age unearthed in the Hili area.Three corners of the courtyard are occupied by small towers, each measuring 12.5 metres in height, and in the northeastern corner is the two-storey building which was used for receptions and guests of the Sheikh. The main entrance to the courtyard in the southern wall is surmounted by a poem dedicated to the fort’s builder, Sheikh Zayed the First.Entrance: Free

Al-Jahili Fort is a fort in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. The fort was established in 1891 around Al-Jahili Oasis for the protection of palm farmers. Later it was seized by the former Omani coastal scout for its operation to protect the mountain lanes and to preserve the inter-tribal peace

History of UAE and HH Family

Is a historical site surrounded by a park with many greens and many trees, it is very worth knowing a little of the history of Al ain. Is very well maintained and organized, if one hears only the noise of the birds singing

Amazing 🤩One of the largest forts in the UAE, Al Jahili reflects the importance of Al Ain to Abu Dhabi’s ruling family and the nation’s history.

A place of history that present the previous life of the ancient royal family of the UAE and it is a good experience to understand the basics of the area architectural school, and take ablooke of traditional Emirati life.

Simple but beautiful place to visit, with an interesting story behind it. The fort is nicely preserved and clean, you can spend a good hour there. Dont miss the exhibition of Wilfred Thesiger. Enjoy!

Favorite place to n Al Ain city ❤️

Lovely fort. Nice, clean and well-kept. Shows how primitive the living conditions were even as recently as 50 years ago

We have a very brief visit and the exhibition wings were closed by then. However, the place has so much history and it was very fascinating to see the video presentation they had about the fort restoration.

The fort has been carefully restored and full credit to those who brought it back to life.The tower wasnt available to enter and the artist whos work was on display didnt appeal to me nor not what I expected to see with this historic place. Theres an interesting tribute to the old Cambridge and Etonian explorer Wilfred Thesiger, showing his travels around many middle eastern areas during the 1930s onwards.

One of the UAEs most historic buildings, this picturesque Fort is the birthplace of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the nation. Set in beautifully landscaped gardens, the fort has been carefully restored and now houses a permanent exhibition of the work of British adventurer Sir Wilfred Thesiger (whom the locals affectionately refer to as Mubarak Bin London) from his crossings of the Rub Al Khali (The Empty Quarter) desert in the 1940s.

One of the best attraction for tourist in Al Ain, Very nice Fort, the buildings are beautiful especially the circular towers.

The fort surrounding are lovely to have a family outings. The fort closes at 18:00 hrs hence we did not see the fort from inside.

The fort is just fabulous it’s one of those things that no picture can do it justice you have to see for yourself

Clean, simple, and a wonderful photo exhibition of what Thesinger caught on his Leica camera while traveling through the Arabian Sands. Easy to walk around and once inside, you will find the original old fort as well with several rooms and a well. You can also crawl up the scroll-like tower for a pretty view of the site.

Good place and the fort is quite amazing to visit. But Monday it’s closed. No ticket as such is required.

Nice place to visit. There is currently a great photo exhibition.

Enjoyed a lot and had a lot of fun visiting this part of the al ain city. Gives you a great touch of actual desert kind of architecture. Weather was hot but very much manageable. Lot of information about each and every corner of the place.

Historical fort, with many more stories. Go and explore the fort. At Al Ain (UAE)

Must be visited if you are in Al Ain for the culture, the expos, and the site by itself.

Its one of heritage places of Al Ain City. Highly recommended for tourists visiting the city. It will teach you about the true life of Al Ain city in the olden times and there is a beautiful park right next to it. You can walk to Starbucks easily or even to Rotana Hotel. If you are visiting Al Ain just come take few photos

A museum that is very well kept since olden ages. A must place to visit to know the Arab history. Very well maintained.

While not very large compared with forts from other parts of the world this place is a great break from all the modern buildings.

Excellent walk, both inside and outside the fortress. Part of the exhibit in the castle is now under any renovation (to be completed in November 2019) and when completed, allow an easy one-hour to walk it around as it’s very interesting, with photos illustrating how living and traveling in the desert used to be.A very simple and plain museum which can however grab you for long due to the interest of its exhibits.Surrounding park is big, full of grass and well maintained.

Good historic place to visit. Specially attractive for archaeologists.

A central part of Emirate culture. Worth the trip to Al Ain.

This fort has been rebuilt and it’s fascinating to see how they did it in film and by looking around you. Very interesting exhibition of photos made by British explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger. We parked at the Al Jahili park entrance and it was a lovely walk through, amazing birds everywhere. Really recommend a visit here. We wandered all over Al Ain and were pleased by the couple of forts we found, then we stumbled on this one. Like the others it has been restored and it looks great. We particularly liked the setting with the large surrounding gardens. It’s the one to visit.

This fort has been rebuilt and it’s fascinating to see how they did it in film and by looking around you. Very interesting exhibition of photos made by British explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger. We parked at the Al Jahili park entrance and it was a lovely walk through, amazing birds everywhere. Really recommend a visit here.

It is situated in al ain in al jahli area.it is one of the uae,s ancient forts.here is also a very beautiful jahli park too.

Incredible place and history.. amazing for photoshoots

Fort is well maintained and must visit place to see. The heritage of the country there people and culture .I would personally recommend all the people visiting the city to visit the fujairah museum and get a deep inside of the city .Entry is 5 AED, the museum is rather small. I would say 30 minutes is enough to visit it.

A nicely restored building with great photography exhibit. Not a great deal to see and do around the actual fort building, kids will enjoy having a little climb around but its not huge, staff are helpful. The best part is the Wilfred Thesiger exhibit if you want to see more of the country and history pre-federation.

The historic fort and completely free

It is a nice place to know and explore nore about Abu Dhabi history and life. The staff is very helpful and you can also buy books and other publications. The fort is well kept and it is a good example of this type of architecture in the region.

One of the best forts in Al Ain basic experience as there is not much to see and do inside, but it is a rare glimpse of UAEs old ways, there is a beautiful park outside overall one hour should be enough to explore and experience the fort and the park, there Starbucks as well there if needed

The fort itself is an over restored place, entertaining in itself. The park around it, the reason we visited the place, is a birdwatchers dream.

HistoryAl Jahili Fort, one of the largest forts in the United Arab Emirates, was built in the late 19th century by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa the First (r. 1855-1909), both as a symbol of power and as a royal summer residence. The original fort consisted of a square fortified enclosure and a distinctive four-storey circular tower

Recommend to visit not only tourist but all of us to teach our kids what was UAE and what has become..Living life miracles to be set as example in order to keep trying to do similar and better..Without icons there is no dreams resulting as No truth.. because every truth is a result of just a dream fired into someone mentality..Truly ...Are you getting it?

A place where you can breathe the past in the middle of the city.

Mentioned in top things to do in a Visit Abu Dhabi brochure, add Tripadvisors top ten, this place is a go. We got there, there was a friendly guard, only to realise there was a big staff room inside where he instructed as to go. While extremely hot outside, through the welcoming area is an air conditioned section. Friendly staff, free dates that refreshes the day, and free tea to keep with the days activities -- for my family -- I pass due to the heat. Took the water from the kitchen when offered. Hospitable staff consistent. We couldnt get to the top of the tower as we were told we can do -- or I misunderstood -- but we couldnt ask any more coz it was darn hot to go back and forth. Moving forward we appreciated the art of the old fort. Too hot we moved to the last section. I enjoyed it. The familys concern, 11 of us, was probably nobody else was there visiting so the awesome area appeared uninteresting. But I got my awesome no tourist photo shoot done. A place worth visiting. The exhibit was a work of love.

This fort has been rebuilt and it’s fascinating to see how they did it in film and by looking around you. Very interesting exhibition of photos made by British explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger.We wandered all over Al Ain and were pleased by the couple of forts we found, then we stumbled on this one.

Great example of reconstruction and integration of modern architecture techniques

One of the largest forts in the UAE, Al Jahili reflects the importance of Al Ain to Abu Dhabi’s ruling family and the nation’s history. Being an illustrious symbol of history, the fort today is an invitation for visitors to explore Emirati public life and its political, social and cultural aspects as it were when its foundations were laid.

Pretty cool spot to check out on a day trip to Al Ain

The fort was partly closed due to national day celebaration yesterday. But it seems very clean and to be organized well looking backward Alains historical pictures.

We wandered all over Al Ain and were pleased by the couple of forts we found, then we stumbled on this one. Like the others it has been restored and it looks great. We particularly liked the setting with the large surrounding gardens. It’s the one to visit. The Al-Jahili fort was built between 1891 and 1898 by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. By that time, it consisted only of a square inner fort and a detached round 4-tier watchtower. It was the first fortification protecting the Oasis Al Ain. After the death of its founder in 1909, the fort became the residence of his eldest son, Khalifa bin Zayid bin Khalifa Al Nayhan. By the early 1950s, the fort fell into disrepair. It was restored by the British for use as barracks. They added a rectangular defensive wall, including an internal fort and watchtower. Created a large yard. Modern gate were built only after the military use of the fort ended, around the beginning of the 1980s.

We didnt got the chance to go inside the castle coz visiting hours every Friday is only from 3pm to 5pm. But we had so much fun taking photos though.

This fort has the towers that are in the logo of the Al Ain FC football club. In addition to the Fort it houses a permanent exhibition on the famous travel writer and photographer Wilfred Thesiger who travelled in this area with the bedouin after WWII. Exhibition gives a good sense of life in the UAE before oil and is a good reminder of how fast and far the UAE have developed in the last 50 years. Entry is free and there is parking space surrounding the park.

I visited here last February,this will be open if there is any programme. The construction is historical. Last Feb,there were many programmes Parades,dog show,Also how the dogs are trained to catch criminals.Also there were traditional foods and stores where we can understand the Arabian culture.

A historic landmark worth visiting. Mubarak bin London story is told here even his camera is here. You will be welcomed with Arabic coffee and dates. In the walls you will find a story telling you all about history starting from tribes times up till modern time.

Its good, its heritage, its tells you a lot, I liked visiting the place, some part of the first were horrifying the small entrances and inside the chambers when I entered I felt like I was living there, its a well preserved heritage must visit site in Al Ain.. I saw a lot of tourists and the park next to it is also good.. plenty of space for sitting playing we enjoyed our time there a lot.. recommended in winters..

Nice place to visit. occasionally there are shows held inside. On normal days the Fort is open from 9am to 5pm. its walkable distance from the Jahili park.

Beautiful Place! There is a great exhibition of William Thesigers photos of his travels around UAE. Provides insight into the history of UAE.

One of the best places in Al Ain to get some sort of idea or picture of what life was like before oil. The buildings are beautiful especially the circular towers. Staff working there are very helpful and friendly. The Wilfred Thesiger (Umbarak bin London) photo collection is the highlight. Photos taken from his 4 years in Yemen, Oman, Saudi and The Trucial States give an amazing flavour of life here and encouraged me to read his Arabian Sands book. The only place that gives a better picture of life in Al Ain before the impact of oil is the Majlis at Oasis Hospital.

One of the old forts inside the Al Ain. A Timings - Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday to Thursday 10 to 5 pm. Friday 3 to 5 pm. Monday fort is closed. You can still walk around the fort after these hours. Fort is adjacent to the Jahli park and Al Ain Rotana hotel. In the evening there are a few food trucks near the fort, towards the Hotel Rotana side.

Cool to see the old fort. I loved how we could wander in and around the fort, seeing the rooms, etc. Theres also a cool exhibit there, so you can step into the air conditioning for a minute to cool off.

Spend sometime to find out about the history of old UAE. in the small museum inside the fort and the FORT as well.a good park back side the fort to enjoy the nice weather . The fort closed on 5 pm.

The Al-Jahili fort was built between 1891 and 1898 by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. By that time, it consisted only of a square inner fort and a detached round 4-tier watchtower. It was the first fortification protecting the Oasis Al Ain. After the death of its founder in 1909, the fort became the residence of his eldest son, Khalifa bin Zayid bin Khalifa Al Nayhan. By the early 1950s, the fort fell into disrepair. It was restored by the British for use as barracks. They added a rectangular defensive wall, including an internal fort and watchtower. Created a large yard. Modern gate were built only after the military use of the fort ended, around the beginning of the 1980s.

A castle built more than 100 years ago and represents the old architecture. There is a museum within the place. Entrance is free and strongly recommended to visit.

If you like to explore cultural heritage, its a place to be.

The Al-Jahili fort was built between 1891 and 1898 by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. By that time, it consisted only of a square inner fort and a detached round 4-tier watchtower. It was the first fortification protecting the Oasis Al Ain. After the death of its founder in 1909, the fort became the residence of his eldest son, Khalifa bin Zayid bin Khalifa Al Nayhan. By the early 1950s, the fort fell into disrepair. It was restored by the British for use as barracks. They added a rectangular defensive wall, including an internal fort and watchtower. Created a large yard. Modern gate were built only after the military use of the fort ended, around the beginning of the 1980s.

Its worth a visit if history and old buildings are your thing. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Thats probably because Thesigers related historical life. Very interesting.

Its an OK place With good space and ample play area for kids. Lighting during evening hours is not so great.Lot of Pakistani friends were there.

It was close for the public holiday but I will return for sure, from out side look so amazing

This is a beautiful fort . It has a great exhibition about William Thesiger who lived amongst these tribes and travelled all over the Atabian gulf.

Nice photos permanently exposed

The Fort is interesting insight into construction. Also very interest photo collection of Mubarak bin London...a western traveler who lived and explored the Empty Quarter.

One off the best park here in Al Ain because its also near to city and easy to access. well maintained and nice place for a morning jogging.

An impressive example of Arab fortified castle, both in terms of its size and number of elaborate towers, but also purely aesthetically pleasing on the eye. A must see object when in Al Ain.

Amazingly interesting place to visit. The fort itself is simple and well restored. The exhibition of photographs is the best part.

Definitely worth a visit...just not on a hot day.

Its one of historic fort located AL ain city in uae. And buetiful gardens sarounded with this fort. Now its one of tourist destinations.

Oldest building and 1st structure build in abu Abu Dhabi Al Ain by grand fater of shikh zayed. for rhis time rhey have permanent exhibition and many thinkgs about late rulers..

One of the most iconic forts currently existing in UAE. Shares a lot of history and traditional

You will experience historical information in this place.Really interesting place to visit. Good for kids to get knowledge about the places.Need to walk a lot.

Historical fortress in the Al Ain oase, Emirates heritage site. Worth visiting together with Sheikh Zayed house to see life before big oil found.

We maintained post restoration!

A beautiful majestic fort. Really good place for picnics . When we visited there was a programme informing about the road rules which was fun and informative.

Its so amazing place fully design to show the culture of local peopls so beautifulll i advice u if u r in al ain must visit thay place its so beautifill i the colour of the building most❤❤

Amazing Historical place. Definitely worth visiting and spending your time. Will recommend to everyone