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Al Etihad
4 days ago
- Al Etihad
Guarding the tribes of Liwa Oasis: A look at the forts that watched over generations
1 June 2025 23:47 RAJEEV CHERIAN (LIWA OASIS, AL DHAFRA REGION)Amid the orange-red desert plains and lush palm groves of the Liwa Oasis lies a series of historical forts and towers, keeping a timeless watch, safeguarding the surrounding settlements, and bearing witness to the lives of on the northern edge of the Rub' al Khali - also known as the Empty Quarter, the world's largest uninterrupted desert - about 250km south of Abu Dhabi, Liwa Oasis is the ancestral home of the revered Bani Yas tribe, the principal tribal confederation of Al Dhafra, comprising 20 region is home to many forts and watchtowers, built by the Bani Yas and Manaseer tribes to safeguard their wells, oasis, livestock and settlements. From these structures, men stood watch over the surrounding landscape. These fortified structures - made of stone, palm trunks and gypsum - also served as a place to store supplies and refuge for people during harsh the 1980s, under the directives of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the forts and towers were restored to preserve the rich architectural heritage of the country. Here is a closer look at Liwa Oasis' fortresses - the monuments that embody the heritage and lives of bygone generations. Al Dhafra Fort Before exploring the historical sites of Liwa, begin your journey at Al Dhafra Fort for an introduction to the region's history, traditions, local communities, and natural in 2017, the fort - which also houses a museum - serves as a cultural gateway to Al Dhafra. It offers rich insights into the region's historic forts and watchtowers, while also preserving a wealth of heritage and cultural knowledge. In addition to its exhibits, the site regularly hosts community and cultural events. Dhafeer Fort According to oral history, Dhafeer Fort was built in 1915 by the Bani Yas tribe during the rule of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed bin Khalifa, reads an information board set up by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT) at the site.'Historic routes through the Liwa Crescent passed through the settlement, 'mahadhar', of Dhafeer, which in the 1950s consisted of 12 traditional 'arish' houses made of palm fronds and beams,' it to other defensive structures in the region, Dhafeer features a stone watchtower surrounded by a low enclosure wall where animals could be corralled in case of an into ruins in the 1950s, the building was rebuilt in 1996 using mudbrick to distinguish the new construction from its earlier form. Al Meel Al Meel Fort was constructed at the site of an earlier fort built to defend the major 'mahadhar' of Sha and its surrounding palm groves. This is one of the important settlements in the eastern part of Liwa crescent inhabited all year round, according to information displayed at the to oral history recorded in 1955, the earlier fort is thought to have been built by the Bani Yas tribe during the reign of Sheikh Mohammed bin Shakhbut bin Dhiyab between 1816 and original structure did not survive and it was rebuilt in the present form upon the directives of Sheikh Zayed in the 1980s. Yabbana This fort marks the easternmost point of the Liwa Crescent. It was constructed to defend the eastern approaches to the important settlements - or 'mahadhar' - of Thrwanniya and Nashshash, along with their palm groves, according to the information board at the is believed that the earlier fort at the site was built around the end of the 19th century. The remains of an earlier enclosure showed the fort was built of stone quarried from the immediate original structure did not survive, but it was rebuilt in the present form at the direction of Sheikh Zayed between 2000 and FortInhabited all year round, Mezaira'a was one of the major clusters of settlements with palm groves in the central part of the Liwa Crescent, according to the there were no actual remains, the fort was constructed in its present form in recognition of the historic significance of the place at the direction of Sheikh Zayed and with the help of the Liwa Municipality in the 1980s. Qutuf Watchtower According to oral history, the Qutuf Watchtower was built around 1920 by the Bani Yas tribe. It guarded the southern approaches to the important group of settlements inhabited all year round in the central part of the Liwa original structure featured a round tower built from plastered rubble. It also featured a stoned enclosure for holding camels. The tower and courtyard were rebuilt around 1990. Al Marya Al Gharbiya Tower Al Marya Al Gharbiya Tower was part of a network of towers guarding settlements in the western part of Liwa, according to the was built by a Baluchi mason around 1895-1905 by the order of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, who was the Ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1912 and 1922, as per oral original tower is shown in one of the archival photographs of Liwa taken by British explorer and author Wilfred Thesiger in the late featured a watchtower with two tiers of gun loops for the defenders, reads an inscription at the tower was rebuilt and the current enclosure was added in the mid-1990s. Hosn Al Dhafra Hosn Al Dhafra or Hosn Al Sirra is located close to Al Dhafra Fort. The site was seasonally inhabited between 14th-15th centuries and 18th-19th centuries, based on archaeological excavations and surveys.'The site is of unique importance as it dates to before the move of the Bani Yas tribes from Al Dhafra to the coast,' reads an inscprition at Al Dhafra Fort. Umm Hisn Tower Built by the Manaseer tribe between 1883 and 1890, the Umm Hisn Tower served as a defence outpost guarding the western approaches to Liwa. The structure - made of limestone slabs - also features enclosures for animals. Taraq Watch Tower Believed to be built by the end of 19th century, Taraq Tower is four metres in diametre with a full height of five metres. Taraq Tower is an intact authentic structure, according to the DCT. Mougab Tower Built during the reign of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1922-1926), the Mougab Tower guarded Liwa from the west. Fallen into ruins in the 1950s, the tower was restored in 2005. Among the other notable historical landmarks in Liwa Oasis are the Khannour Fort and Al Hayla Tower.
Gulf Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Khorfakkan earn last-gasp draw with Bani Yas in six-goal thriller
Tarik Tissoudali scored a stoppage-time equalizer to earn Khorfakkan a deserved 3-3 draw in a cracking Matchweek 24 games against Bani Yas on Monday. It was a crazy game with a six-goal thriller at Bani Yas Stadium, as the drama lasted until the very last whistle. Youssoufou Niakate fired Bani Yas in front twelve minutes into the game after he was found unmarked inside the penalty area. Lazar Markovic threaded the ball through to Niakate, who slotted the ball into the back of the net. Kayque Soares Campos quickly restored the parity for the visitors four minutes later after timing his run perfectly to head in Abdulla Alkarbi's pinpoint cross. The Malian forward restored the lead for Bani Yas before the break as he netted a spectacular solo goal in the 38th minute, carving through the middle of the field before firing the ball into the bottom corner. He has been involved in Bani Yas' last eight goals, scoring seven and producing an assist. The hosts started the second half fiercely to secure the three points, and Lazar Markovic doubled their advantage two minutes before the hour-mark with a spectacular sublime strike that smashed the top corner. The match kept on delivering drama as substitute Cheickna Doumbia halved the deficit and pulled one back after poking in the rebound at the hour-mark. Khorfakkan kept pressing for the level, and Tarik Tissoudali scored at the death after successfully converting from a penalty spot. The result means Bani Yas sit eleventh with 26 points, while Khorfakkan are eighth with 33 points. Elsewhere, two first-half goals and another one in the second half helped Al Ain defeat Sharjah 3-0 on Monday. Al Ain killed the game from the first half by scoring two goals and netting another one in the dying moments of the second half. The victory led Al Ain temporarily to the fourth spot with 40 points, while Sharjah remained second with 45 points. Soufian Rahimi put Al Ain ahead after 33 minutes with a magnificent chip over the onrushing goalkeeper Khaled Tawhid. Five minutes into the first half's stoppage time, Laba Kodjo successfully stroked the ball into the bottom corner from the spot to double Al Ain's advantage. The Togolese striker equaled Caio Lucas as the top goalscorer of both clubs' encounters with eight goals. Maro Katinic was shown a red card in the 74th minute due to a foul on Matias Palacios. Mohamed Awad made it 3-0 in the dying moments after picking up the ball inside the box and steered it into the bottom corner to seal the victory. Meanwhile, Facundo Daniel's 53rd-minute header and Omar Khribin's 90th-minute goal were the difference in Al Wahda's 2-0 comfortable win over Dibba Al Hisn at Saqr Bin Mohammad al Qassimi Stadium. It means that Dibba Al Hisn have officially relegated to the second division, accompanying Al Orooba. It was a cagy first half between both clubs, ending in a goalless draw as Daniel scored the first goal seven minutes before the hour-mark and Omar Khribin doubled their advantage in the 90th minute. The result left Al Wahda third with 44 points, while Dibba Al Hisn remained 13th with 16 points. The first spotlight of the game was stolen in the 53rd minute when Facundo Daniel timed his run perfectly to head in Ruben Filipe's cross to be involved in seven goals in the last nine games for Al Wahda as his he scored seven headed goals out of 17. Following great teamwork from Al Wahda's players ended with the Syrian international Khribin steering the ball into the top corner in the 90th minute. Meanwhile, the UAE Pro League organized a technical workshop, in Dubai to discuss proposed updates and improvements for the upcoming 2025–2026 football season. The workshop was attended by UAE Pro League's Board Member, Chairman of the Technical Committee, Hassan Taleb Al Marri, and Musab Al Marzooqi, Acting CEO, in addition to representatives from all 14 professional clubs.
Sharjah 24
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Sharjah 24
Khorfakkan snatches valuable draw against Bani Yas
Match Summary Khorfakkan turned around a 3-2 loss into a 3-3 draw in the dying moments of the match, which took place today at Bani Yas Stadium during round 24 of the ADNOC Pro League. Key Moments Tarik Daisoudali from Khorfakkan scored a penalty in the 90+8 minute to equalise the score at 3-3. Bani Yas opened the scoring with a goal from Youssef Nykete in the 12th minute. Khorfakkan equalised through Suarez in the 16th minute, but Bani Yas regained the lead with another goal from Youssef Nykete in the 38th minute. Markovic added a third goal for Bani Yas in the 58th minute before Khorfakkan leveled the match in the final moments. Standings Impact With this draw, Bani Yas raised their points to 26, placing them in 11th position, while Khorfakkan moved to 33 points, securing 8th place.
Sharjah 24
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Sharjah 24
Galiev leads Al Bataeh's ADNOC Pro League win over Bani Yas
With this victory, Al Bataeh's total rose to 24 points, putting them in 12th place in the league table, while Bani Yas stayed in 11th place with 25 points. Azizjon Ganiev, a midfielder from Uzbekistan, scored a crucial goal in the 55th minute, leading Al Bataeh to a win against Bani Yas in their match on Monday. This victory brought Al Bataeh's points to 24, placing them in 12th position in the ADNOC Pro League standings. Meanwhile, Bani Yas remained in 11th place with 25 points.
Sharjah 24
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Sharjah 24
Dibba Al Hisn beats Bani Yas to boost survival hopes
Dramatic comeback victory Dibba Al Hisn staged a stunning comeback to defeat Bani Yas 4-2 in Round 21 of the ADNOC Pro League, keeping their hopes alive of avoiding relegation. Early lead for Bani Yas Bani Yas took control early, with Youssoufou Nketiah scoring in the 3rd and 52nd minutes to give his team a 2-0 lead. Dibba Al Hisn turns the game Dibba Al Hisn responded with three quick goals — two from Pierre Conde in the 58th and 68th minutes, followed by Joao Vitor's strike in the 73rd minute — completing the turnaround. Standings and impact With the win, Dibba Al Hisn moved to 16 points, remaining second from bottom but boosting their survival hopes. Bani Yas stayed in 10th place with 22 points.
