Qasr Al Watan

Qaṣr Al-Waṭan (Arabic: قَصْر ٱلْوَطَن‎, lit. 'Palace of the Nation'),[3][4] is the Presidential palace[1][2] in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

Qasr Al Watan
UAE Presidential Palace[1][2]
قَصْر ٱلْوَطَن
Location in the United Arab Emirates
General information
LocationAbu Dhabi, the UAE
Coordinates24°27′44.11″N 54°18′19.83″E
Website
www.qasralwatan.ae

History

To celebrate the heritage of the country, Sheikhs Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates) and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces) decided to open the palace to the public in 2019.[3] Prior to its opening, the palace was used only for official purposes, Mainly hosting foreign leaders of states,[1][2] and for meetings of the country's supreme council and federal cabinet. Even after being opened to the public, the palace continues to be used for these purposes.[5]

The palace was opened to the public on the 11th of March 2019,[6][7][8] in a ceremony hosted by Sheikhs Mohammed bin Zayed and Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai).[7][9] In August, the palace was named by the travel and tourism website of Hotel and Rest[10] among the top 20 landmarks of art and culture in the World.[11][12] In 2020, the Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace was nominated for the World Travel Awards as the main cultural tourist attraction in the Middle East.[13]

Interior and exterior

With a façade made of white granite and limestone, the mainly white palace[7] is intricately designed and ornately decorated. It includes a dome with a diameter of 37 m (121 ft), a chandelier with 350,000 pieces of crystal, and a number of compartments.[6][8] The dome is located on top of the central chamber known as "The Great Hall", which is surrounded by two wings to the east and west.[7]

Eastern wing

The eastern wing has the "House of Knowledge", where a number of artefacts and other objects of importance are stored.[7][9] Stored objects include gifts presented by visiting officials from other countries,[14] and 2 religious texts in the "House of Knowledge": the Quran (including a replica of the Birmingham manuscript) and the Bible (including the Psalms of David).[15] There is also a library with more than 50,000 books which document the cultural, social and political history of the country.[9]

Western wing

The western wing has halls which are used for official purposes. Here, there is a room known as the "Spirit of Collaboration", where meetings of the UAE Cabinet and Federal Supreme Council would be hosted, besides summits of international bodies like the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council. Elsewhere, banquets for official events, besides diplomatic gifts from other countries, are kept.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Abu Dhabi". Insight Guides Oman & the UAE (Travel Guide eBook). Insight Guides. APA Publications (UK) Limited. 2015-12-01.
  2. Gueraiche, William (2016-08-10). "5: Persian Janus". The UAE: A Political and Economic Geography. London, New York: I.B. Tauris.
  3. "Abu Dhabi: Palace of the Nation opens to public Monday". WAM. Gulf News. 2019-03-10. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  4. Abdul Kader, Binsal (2019-03-11). "Inside Qasr Al Watan: Palace in Abu Dhabi opens doors to public". Gulf News. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  5. Edwards, Noni (2019-04-03). "Visiting Qasr Al Watan? Here's the best things to see". Gulf News. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  6. Nandkeolyar, Karishma H. (2019-03-11). "Qasr Al Watan opens to the public: First-person account of a visit". Gulf News. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  7. Sebugwaawo, Ismail (2019-03-11). "Your ultimate guide to UAE's latest landmark Qasr Al Watan". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  8. "Qasr Al Watan". Qasr Al Watan. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  9. "Photos: UAE leaders inaugurate Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi". WAM. Khaleej Times. 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  10. Al Majayda, Dr. Jamal (2019-08-27). "Qasr Al Watan is among the 20 greatest landmarks of modern culture and art in the world". Hotel and Rest. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  11. "Abu Dhabi's Qasr Al Watan is among the 20 greatest landmarks of modern culture and art". Design Middle East. 2019-08-27. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  12. Shephard, Harriet (2019-08-28). "Qasr Al Watan named as one of the best landmarks in the world". Time Out Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  13. alfaham, WAM/Tariq (2020-06-24). "Qasr Al Watan nominated for World Travel Awards as Middle East's Leading Cultural Tourist Attraction 2020 | Businessliveme.com - Business News Middle East | BLME". Businessliveme.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  14. "The Qasr Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi Review". My Bayut. 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  15. Sengupta, Chiranti (2019-05-29). "6 reasons to visit Qasr Al Watan this Eid". Gulf News. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
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