Report: Reem Al-Muqbali
Al Ain Oasis witnessed a large turnout of visitors during the first half of the summer of this year, with their number reaching more than three hundred thousand visitors. This turnout from the public confirmed that the oasis is an ideal destination for history and nature lovers, as it provides them with the opportunity to explore its ancient heritage and enjoy its stunning natural beauty.
For its part, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi confirmed that the Al Ain Oases are part of the Al Ain Cultural Sites listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2011. The oases stand today as the most prominent evidence of human settlement and agricultural practices in this region, which dates back to the beginning of the Bronze Age, around 3,000 years BC.
Oases have played an important role in the continuation of civilizations that were able to achieve stability and prosperity thanks to the effective and innovative management of water resources and coexistence with the arid desert environment, which resulted in the continuity of the cultural landscape of the city of Al Ain and what it contains of archaeological evidence remaining from prehistoric times to the present day. As ongoing archaeological research proves, the currently known oases of Al Ain are a continuation of ancient natural and environmental systems since the late seventeenth century.
On the other hand, the falaj system is the main source of water that all oases depended on, as water was transported from the ground to long distances, mostly through a series of underground and surface channels. The water was distributed fairly to all palm lands, by adopting management practices based on community solidarity and continuous maintenance, as it is an example of the link between traditional practices and the management of natural areas.
Studies indicate that the oasis occupies a strategic location that enhances its importance as a vital center within the urban fabric of Al Ain city, as it is a low basin that includes palm trees, fruits and vegetables grown under the shade of palm trees that are irrigated by the water of the aflaj. It represents a unique and humid ecological environment whose influence extends to include the surrounding areas, which enhances agricultural activities around it, due to the presence of fertile soil and sustainable water sources for irrigation through wells that have enhanced agricultural production. Dates and other crops are still grown to this day in the Al Ain Oasis, just as they were grown centuries ago.
Al Ain Oases: An Agricultural Area and a Community Memory for the People of the Region
Report: Reem Al-Muqbali#Union_News_Center pic.twitter.com/QmOSBlgcW5
— Oloum Aldar – Union News Center (@oloumaldar) August 9, 2024
#Ain #Oases #Agricultural #Area #Community #Memory #People #Region
