FORT MEZYAD

If you stay several days in Al Aïn, this is one of those places that makes the trip, solitary, isolated, away from brochures, very close to the border with Oman. Now magnificently restored, but still without an official date for opening to the public and in October 2023, it's still a beautiful ghost protected by the lofty presence of Jebel Hafit and its 4 guard towers. Not far away, the ^4th millennium tombstones lie beneath their dry-stone mounds. A sumptuous avenue of date palms runs straight up the anticline, bisecting the palm grove. Enter to explore this fortified, crenellated barracks, now overgrown with weeds and the tools of heritage workers. The fort was strategically built at the foot of the mountain. Of imposing size, it was built during the ^19th century, probably by Sheikh Zayed the First, a great figure in the history of the Emirate and also grandfather of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, founder of the United Arab Emirates. The fort served not only as a base for troops, but also as a shelter for families during attacks by neighbors jealous of the oases. The fort comprises 44 rooms set around a central courtyard, now adorned with palm trees. With great care and caution, as the adobe is very crumbly and can be the ideal home for vipers, we reach the parapet walk and take a photo for the album. A penetrating calm accompanies the abandonment of this deserted garrison to the birds, but entrusted to the palm trees and the Jebel. Superb!