In the midst of tall towers and perfectly aligned palm trees along the super block lays Qasr al Hosn — a live exhibit of culture, tradition and history. Giant buildings jut out from behind, creating a modern backdrop to traditional huts inside the exhibit. A man clad in a traditional dress weaves shiny silver wires into the making of a fishnet, known as a gargour in the Emirati culture.

 

As Abu Dhabi grew both as a city and a population, what began as a watchtower expanded into a fortress and now a palace, known as Qasr al Hosn, meaning palace of the defense in Arabic. The palace is in the middle of the city and is both a reflection of the past as well as a celebration of Abu Dhabi's progress. Qasr al Hosn's humble beginnings originate from a centuries-old watchtower, constructed in 1761 on a patch of land where the Sheikh of the Bani Yas tribes discovered a fresh water oasis. Today, stalls of ceramic pottery, gold embroidered dresses and locally made artwork occupy the outdoor area. Men in kandoras sit on patches of sand as they use long pieces of wood and short, sharp knives to build the frame of dhow boats. They continue their work with little attention to the people perusing the stalls and stations. Families take their time browsing through the many exhibits, while giggling toddlers in miniature kandoras dart and weave between stalls. Some of the children linger by the camel-petting area, offering apple slices and other treats to their hump-backed friends. Freshman Nino Cricco attended the festival as part of a first-year programming event. “Living in Sama and being inside, you can get the sense that … there is nothing to do, there is no history, there is no culture,” Cricco said. “But there is. You just have to go out and find it.” In addition to the outdoor stations, the festival hosts a theatrical show explaining the creation of the United Arab Emirates. NYUNY junior Dylan Maurer attended the show, which he described as one of the most exciting things he has seen in Abu Dhabi. “It was a beautiful way to tell the story of Abu Dhabi, and my favorite part was when they threw gold glitter at the pictures of the Sheikhs,” Maurer said. I also loved getting to walk around and see what was inside the block across from Sama after having to pass it on the way to DTC so many times.” Freshman James Smoley, however, felt that while the show as a performance was entertaining, it lacked cultural value. “The plot was bland and failed to teach me anything I didn’t already know,” he said. “There was a strong use of stereotypical Emirati imagery, such as the falcon and pearl diving. But, these were very two-dimensional representations of the Emirati culture.” While Smoley felt as though the show was not a true representation of Emirati culture, some students who attended felt that the experience was refreshing. “My most decisive impression about the show was that it was really like the Emirates itself,” said freshman Aliz Toth. “It had [this] Arabic feel to it, but at the same time it was really modern and entertaining.”