Qasr Al Watan, which means Palace of the Nation, is a relatively new addition to the cultural scene in Abu Dhabi as it was opened to the public in 2019. This breathtaking white granite and limestone building took 7 years to construct and is a working palace used for hosting official state visits and summits.
Silvia and I visited it on New Years’ Eve 2019 and we can vouch that it is a wonderful experience not to be missed when in Abu Dhabi. The only thing we regret is that we did not allocate more time to explore everything there as you can literally spend hours and hours wandering around the palace and marvelling at the amazingly intricate details.
Below is a selection of highlights from our visit but there is a lot more to see!
The Great Hall
As you enter the palace you find yourself in the heart of Qasr al Watan – The Great Hall. This is one of our favourite parts of Qasr Al Watan as it is absolutely spectacular with its grand central dome, intricately carved archways, mosaic patterns, stained glass windows and stunning architectural details deeply rooted in the Arabian heritage.
You need to make sure you have sufficient time to explore The Great Hall as it is massive in size with so many delightful examples of Arabian architecture that you can only truly appreciate if you take your time to admire them.
The colour scheme of the Palace has a deep meaning behind it with each of the colours representing something of significance to the UAE. For example, white is a symbol of peace, yellow represents the sand of the desert and blue is for the blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.
The Power of Words
This beautiful gold sculpture named “The Power of Words” is probably one of the most photographed spots in Qasr Al Watan but did you know that this impressive piece of art by an Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej is actually a quote by Sheikh Zayed, the Father of the Nation? This truly inspirational quote has a deep meaning and it goes as follows: “Wealth is not money or oil; wealth lies in people and it is worthless if not dedicated to serve the people”. I cannot imagine a better and more beautiful quote to be part of the magnificent Qasr al Watan.
House of Knowledge
Just behind the Knowledge Sculpture, you will find the entrance to the House of Knowledge, an exhibition dedicated to a selection of manuscripts and artifacts that showcase some of the Arab world’s most significant contributions to medicine, literature, art, astronomy, and much more.
Library
The Qasr Al Watan Library displays an impressive collection of books on science, art, culture and literature in the UAE, amongst others.
Presidential Gifts
The Palace houses a rather extensive collection of diplomatic gifts received by the UAE. The three main aspects taken into consideration when selecting a diplomatic gift are culture, religion and personal taste. Reflecting all three of these aspects, the most interesting part of this exhibition is a selection of Qurans gifted by diplomats from all over the world. The display features a lot of intricately adorned Qurans and the most ornate ones come from the most surprising places.
Admission price
At the moment of writing, Qasr Al Watan is open for visitors and the tickets are priced AED 60 for adults and AED 30 for children.
Bisous,
Yasmina
