Majlis rooms
Where guests were received.
trolvag — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ykeiko — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ZI Jony — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ansari M Joshi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · trolvag — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ansari M Joshi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Thanveer Ahammed — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ansari M Joshi — CC BY-SA 4.0
The palace of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, and his family, built in 1937 on the west side of Al Ain Oasis. Sheikh Zayed lived here until 1966, and it became a museum in 1998. The museum shows the palace rooms as they were, most of them majlis rooms for receiving guests, along with an art gallery, courtyards with wooden lattices and a traditional well. One courtyard holds a replica of the great majlis tent, a link to Bedouin life, and a Land Rover like the one Sheikh Zayed drove in the desert to visit Bedouin communities. The palace has crenellated mud towers and a large decorated gateway, surrounded by gardens and palms. Behind it is an entrance to Al Ain Oasis, with a path through the palms to the Al Ain National Museum. Entry is free, per visitor guides; hours differ between sources and some say it closes on Mondays, so check before you go.
Where guests were received.
A link to Bedouin life.
Sheikh Zayed's desert trips.
West side of Al Ain Oasis
From its building in 1937 until 1966; the palace became a museum in 1998.
