Emiratis, visitors and historians speak about a building that speaks to them

“This building is nothing less than a physical timeline of the development of Abu Dhabi.”

– Mark Kyffin, an architect working in 2013 for the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, part of the team responsible for the conservation of the building

“People loved Al Hosn, and the people who lived in it, it meant to them a great deal. Many ladies used to come, and they would be given some money and other basic needs.”

- Sheikha Sabha bint Mohammed Al Khaili

“Al Hosn was an icon of leadership and a symbol of the Nahyan family. Someone who sees Al Hosn knows this was a place of justice and gave us a sense of belonging.”

– Faraj Ali Bin Hamoodah a member of the first National Consultative Council and one of Sheikh Zayed’s trusted men

“Once, while praying, upon hearing a cat in distress within the walls of the fort, Sheikh Shakhbut asked about it, and when he found that someone took the cat’s kittens to the souq, he demanded they be returned to the mother.”

– Sheikha Osha, one of the most respected elders of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family

“It was so alive. We had beautiful carpets, bookshelves filled with historical treasures, we had different people coming in and out, all seeking knowledge and researching history.”

– Dr Frauke Heard-Bey, a historian, archivist, researcher and author, who worked at the Centre for Documentation and Research when it was set up at Qasr Al Hosn in the late 1960s.

“It’s important that people learn about the place, because it tells the story of Abu Dhabi and its Rulers. The place meant a big deal for us. It was the city centre and the most vital part of Abu Dhabi.”

– Ibrahim Almazrouei, Emirati Abu Dhabi resident

“The fort sparkled, even miles away. It was extremely white back then and greenery filled the area.

– Hathboor Mohammed Kaddas Al Romaithi, who guarded the fort when he was 16

“When I enter Al Hosn, I know every brick, every wall tells a story. I get goosebumps when I think of the history and people who lived in this building.”

– Mohammed Abdullah Al Mansouri, an Emirati historian and architect

“I visited Qasr Al Hosn more than 10 years ago to see the library and sit in on some lectures. It had a very academic feel to it and was very progressive, in the sense that it had a well stocked library and a seminar hall for lectures and government programmes.”

– Mohammed Yar, a Bangladeshi Abu Dhabi resident for more than three decades

“There were lots of people running around, the fort was cool, and it was in pretty good order. It was a nice place, it had a great atmosphere.”

– Michael Curtis, a former squadron commander in the Trucial Oman Scouts

“It is a wonderful festival and gives us an opportunity to mingle with the local culture.”

– Nambakkam Harindranath, an Indian energy efficiency engineer from India, who visited with his wife, Narayana, last year

“It is very nice and made us realise what we missed from the old days and how the old generation lived.”Conser

– G Al Neaimi, Emirati