We find our way to the Al Ain Oasis from the Al Jahili Fort, only a 5 minute drive away. It is rather incredible to come across an oasis such as this in the middle of a city. However, it also makes sense that an oasis such as this is at the heart of the city.
We arrive after the morning at Al Jahili Fort and some lunch. The day is hot and although the boys have their scooters, the paved path is not ideal for this activity, apparently. So, after considering our options, we decide to hire a bike to get out and explore.
There are four sets of pedals but the boys have trouble reaching so we set out with parent peddle power. We take off into the oasis not really concentrating on where we are going. All of the palm trees are behind walls, segregated into areas. There are 147,000 date palms here over 3,000 acres. It is a large site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011.
The segregated sections of the oasis does not mean that life here was segregated. In the days when families inhabited the oasis for the purposes of farming, all aspects of life here were united by a cooperative community, much as the neighborhoods of Al Ain continue to operate today. The concept of Faz’a unites communities with an understanding of solidarity and mutual support such that all aspects of life in the oasis, from building houses to harvesting, cleaning the falaj, celebrating and mourning are governed by this idea.
Buildings in the oasis tended to be small and separate from the gardens where life was lived. The single room sized dwellings were primarily used for resting and domestic activities while the gardens was where the work was carried out.
One of the really interesting things to see here is the working traditional irrigation system run through wells and irrigation channels known as falaj. Water is one of the most important things in an oasis and the falaj uses gravity to deliver water from wells and local water sources through underground channels to the surface. The water then flows through a series of channels, routed by barriers either lowered or raised to irrigate the crops across the whole plantation.
The water outlet or Shari’a where water surfaces after traveling through a tunnel from the mother well (umm al falaj) and where water collects before it enters the surface channels of the falaj network is also where a bride would be washed on the occasion of her wedding day. A wedding was not only one of the most joyful occasions in the community but is rich in tradition including being washed in the Shari’a and performing traditional dances for the occasion.
The dance, known as the Al Ayyala is a celebratory Emirati dance involving two rows of about twenty man chanting poetry to drums, tambourines and cymbals while performing the movements. The dance simulates a battle scene and has the men carrying bamboo sticks that signify swords or khanjar.
Traveling from the main gate we manage to reach the souqs on the north side of the oasis from the main gate and decide to head back. The pedals are hard work and we have learnt about the oasis. As we head back we take a turn which is questionably marked as undergoing maintenance. Unsure we continue on and hit, after much exertion, a dead end. Turning back we find it easier to push the bike from the back than retrace our pedaling.
Still, the experience happens in the space of around an hour and despite now being extraordinarily thirsty, it was both worthwhile and educational. Sinking into the cool air conditioning of the car we are no worse for wear and head back towards the hotel.
At the base of Jebal Hafeet there is another green space of Al Ain that is noteworthy. The Green Mubazzarah is a park with hot baths and equipped with playgrounds, fields, food outlets and even overnight chalets.
Here the deep water springs rise from as far as 2km underground and surface at a temperature of between 40 – 45 degrees celcius.
Today we only find a few trickles which leads me to believe that either we are out of season or the springs are regulated somehow. Still the green is a welcome sight in this landscape and it would be a nice spot for a picnic and play during winter, especially if there was a 40 degree bath in the mix.
Today we continue back to the Mercure hotel at Jebal Hafeet to enjoy a meal overlooking both the Green Mubazzarah and further out there, the oasis, at the lovely Al Khayma restaurant. As the lights of the city come on I contemplate the painted hues of this desert oasis city in all its glory.
Would I Return?
Yes. I would not make a special trip here to see the oasis or the Green Mubazzarah but Al Ain is an interesting city with enough entertainment and relaxation for a short or slightly extended Dubai get away. And let’s face it, we all need a Dubai get away every now and then.
