The round tower
Three crenellated tiers.
ZI Jony — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hanna Orlowski (HSOart) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nasser Ali Alkhlaifi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jeff2rado — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ZI Jony — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ZI Jony — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Salva.u — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vanshiikaa — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of the largest forts in the UAE, built in 1891 by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan in the Al Jahili oasis of Al Ain to protect the date farmers, their water sources and farmland. In 1955 the fort became a base for the Trucial Oman Levies, later the Trucial Oman Scouts, who took first aid and basic medicine to remote villages around Al Ain by camel patrol; a military band was formed here in 1957. It has been a visitor attraction since 1971. The fort has a rectangular wall with a large gateway flanked by two towers, and in one corner a massive round tower of three crenellated tiers, one of Al Ain's finest landmarks. It was restored in the mid-1980s and again by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage in 2007-08, which added a visitor office, a café and a square for exhibitions and events. Entry is free, per visitor guides. The fort is lit at night and looks its best in the evening; pair it with the nearby Al Ain Palace Museum.
Three crenellated tiers.
Flanked by two towers.
Lit in the evening.
South-central Al Ain, by the Al Jahili oasis
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan built it in 1891 to protect the date farmers of the Al Jahili oasis; in 1955 it became a base for the Trucial Oman Levies.
