He gave his visitors the opportunity to dive into memories

Al Hosn Festival.. Experiences of the beautiful past until the last stop

• The festival accompanied its visitors of all ages on a journey back to the time of the ancestors.

  Photography: Eric Arazas

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The Al Hosn Festival, which reached its last stop yesterday, gave its visitors the opportunity to dive into the past, to recall the features of life in Abu Dhabi in the past, and to reincarnate it for the audience through a set of programs, interactive experiences and activities that were distributed over 10 regions, and were presented by 58 craftsmen and 50 performers. divided into 16 working groups.

These experiences provided visitors to the festival, which started on the 13th of this month, to take a trip to the past, to live in it and become a part of it.

Among the most prominent of these innovative experiences that characterized the festival, which concluded yesterday:

The oldest building

Qasr Al-Hosn, which is the oldest building in the capital, combines history and the present through the activities it offers this year, most notably the “Palace Memories” exhibition, the “Craft Melodies” exhibition, heritage photo sessions, and the “We and Our Grandparents” activities, which bring together the grandparents. And the grandchildren, to achieve communication between generations, all the way to the contemporary secret café experience.

Visit Al Fareej

Al-Fareej represented a copy of the al-Furjan in which the residents of the Emirates lived in the past, with its building style and the narrow skeins that connect its roads that lead to the popular market, where shops and workshops displayed traditional products and crafts, such as talli, al-Sadu, pottery, burqas, qarqir and religion industry, as well as watching the bush auction.

The market included 53 participants.

traditional wedding

Like the traditional wedding, which was held in Al-Fareej at nine o'clock in the evening daily, it was one of the special performances that attracted the attention of adults and children from the festival-goers.

He presented a picture of weddings in the past, embodied by members of the Yas Theater team, through a group of scenes that reflected the preparations that precede the wedding, such as the queen and the bride's wedding, and other rituals that take place in an atmosphere of joy and happiness.

Folk cuisine

The kitchen program, in which a number of Emirati popular kitchens participated, gave visitors the opportunity to learn about the characteristics of Emirati cuisine, and to taste samples of traditional Emirati food, such as porridge, tandoor, qasheed, salty, fuala, and others. Prevalent in the past in the Emirates, from the cashier located in the place.

"Zain Trail"

Darb Al-Zein represented an interactive experience that included a path for men and another for women, and the women’s path led to the “Al-Zein Majlis” in the House of Craftsmen, in which visitors will find everything related to Emirati traditional costumes, including incense, incense, ajfah, henna and burqa, so that they can take memorial photos in traditional costumes at the end of the path.

As for the men's path, he walked them among the shops of the popular market, providing an explanation of the Emirati fashion for men, and he also made it possible to buy what they wanted.

In addition to a track dedicated to children, it included various activities, through which they learned about the Emirati dress, its associated customs and traditions, the history and types of embroidery and inscriptions in both women's and men's costumes.

Arab Coffee Championships

These championships witnessed heated competitions between specialists in the heritage of Arabic coffee, selection of beans, roasting and preparation, including the Arab Coffee Maker Championship, the Arabic Coffee Roasting Award, and the award for the best innovative Arabic coffee drink.

The last session of the festival witnessed the expansion of competitions to include the Gulf region and attracted participation from sister countries, whether in the jury or the contestants.

Craftsmen Council

The Craftsmen’s Council was organized in the crafts area, and this year focused on three experiences of men’s crafts, that is, they were associated with men, in contrast to other traditional crafts that were associated with women, such as talli, al-Sadu, and others. In the field of these industries, to introduce visitors to its history in the Emirates and the region.

City treasures

The "Treasures of the City" initiative, launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, aimed to highlight the importance of restaurants and shops with a long history in the city, and still provide their services, as they are of cultural value. This year, the Al Hosn Festival hosted four of these entities.

Al Hosn Corniche

This area was distinguished by its special character, which is close to the marine environment in Abu Dhabi and the Emirates, and it represented a resting area for festival-goers, as it included a group of cafes and restaurants that were inspired by Emirati food and drinks, and presented them in a modern and innovative style.

It also witnessed many musical and performance shows throughout the day.

• 58 craftsmen and 50 representatives distributed over 16 working groups.

Musical performances

The Al Hosn Festival program in the heart of Abu Dhabi included many musical performances that varied between traditional, folk and modern arts.

The performances were presented by artistic groups selected from the residents of the country, and their works were in Arabic, to encourage adherence to the language of Dhad and preserve it. 

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