Travel in time through Abu Dhabi’s archaeology and architecture

Travel in time through

Abu Dhabi’s archaeology and architecture

From 5,000-year-old tombs to the world’s farthest manmade leaning building, this emirate has it all

Words Dianne Apen-Sadler

The region’s biggest museum opening of 2025, Zayed National Museum has brought 300,000 years of history under one (rather iconic) roof. The museum showcases the UAE’s history from ancient times up until the present day, celebrating the rich history, culture and stories of the land and its people and the timeless values of the country’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The collection includes Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age artefacts, from the world’s oldest falaj irrigation system to traces of Bronze Age copper mining. Highlights include one of the world’s oldest natural pearls—through which visitors can learn about the Arabian Gulf’s pearling history—the Blue Qur’an, one of the most beautiful examples of an early Quranic manuscript, and a recreation of an ancient Magan Boat, a vessel used in the region during the Umm an-Nar Period (2500–2000 BCE).

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Foster of Foster + Partners was tasked with the design. Turning to the Emirati practice of falconry for inspiration, Lord Foster created a striking steel structure that resembles the wing of the country’s national bird in flight.

While the museum is the newest in Abu Dhabi, it’s certainly not the city’s only architectural and archaeological marvel. From ancient tombs to modern heritage sites, you can travel in time through the emirate’s many attractions.

The Jebel Hafit tombs date back thousands of years (©Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi)

Ancient wonders

Away from the towering skyscrapers, the emirate of Abu Dhabi boasts a number of archaeological sites for you to explore in Al Ain Region, located around a 90-minute drive from the capital.

The earliest sites, dating back 5,000 years, are found within the Jebel Hafit Desert Park at the base of Abu Dhabi’s highest mountain. Hundreds of beehive-shaped tombs have been discovered here, each containing the remains of between two and five people. The burial goods inside have helped researchers learn about ancient trade routes, with imported Mesopotamian pottery and beads among the treasures found.

Going from the Bronze Age to the Umm an-Nar period, Hili Archaeological Park is where the remains of the earliest known agricultural village in the UAE were found. Visitors can head here for the Hili Grand Tomb, a large circular structure decorated with human and animal figurines, or pay a visit to the recently reopened Al Ain Museum to see some of the artefacts found.

The garden city is also home to several oases, part of The Cultural Sites of Al Ain, the UAE’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dating back to around 3000 BCE, the largest and most visited is Al Ain Oasis. Here, you can wander through the palm trees and see the ancient falaj system which still provides water to the flora today.

Qasr Al Hosn Fort is the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi (©Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi)

Beginnings of Abu Dhabi

While nomadic Bedouin tribes have inhabited the region for thousands of years, the capital city’s history is far shorter, having been first settled in 1761. You can learn all about this history at Abu Dhabi’s oldest stone building, Qasr Al Hosn, which was first built in the 1790s.

Jumping closer to the current day, Al Ain Region’s Qasr Al Muwaiji was built in the early 20th century and later served as an administrative base for Sheikh Zayed. Now a museum, the exhibition inside covers the history of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family members and their connection to the fort. Alternatively, you can explore Al Jahili Fort, built in the 1890s for Zayed the First, Sheikh Zayed’s father. Here, the exhibition focuses on the life of explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger who crossed the Empty Quarter—the world’s largest sand mass—with his Emirati and Omani companions twice in the 1940s.

Heading further forward still, Al Maqta’a Museum opened within the city’s former Customs House earlier this year. The site, built in the 1950s, was used to check goods at the border to Abu Dhabi Island and now hosts a museum dedicated to the history of the city’s police force. While you won’t be able to visit, you can also see Al Maqta’a Tower, a key defensive structure in the creek dating back to the 18th century.

ERTH Hotel is inspired by Abu Dhabi heritage (©Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi)

Modern heritage sites

Unsurprisingly for such a young country, the fabric of the city isn’t a mix of 15th century buildings contrasted with 21st century skyscrapers. Most of the architecture dates back to the past 50 or 60 years at most. Back in 2023, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi launched a programme to acknowledge the importance of these buildings, naming 64 of them modern heritage sites, which means they cannot be demolished or changed extensively.

Some of our favourites include the Cultural Foundation, established in 1981, with its gorgeous geometric tiles; the Armed Forces Officers Club & Conference Centre, which is designed to look like a falcon, and the instantly recognisable green Abu Dhabi Bus Terminal and Taxi Stand.

Modern marvels

The city is constantly evolving, and the capital of two decades ago was very different to the one you visit today. Some of the city’s top attractions have opened in the past 20 years: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, known for its gold and marble interiors and hundreds of domes, opened in 2005, while the nearby presidential palace Qasr Al Watan was completed in 2017, and only opened to visitors in 2019. At the latter, be sure to visit for the spectacular nightly light and sound shows. Even the city’s best-known attraction, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, only opened in 2007.

Over on Saadiyat Island, the photo-friendly Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by world-famous architect Jean Nouvel, opened in 2017, while the Abrahamic Family House, which features a mosque, a church and a synagogue in one complex, was completed in just four years, opening in 2023. New additions to the Saadiyat Cultural District include the Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Soon, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, will be opening its doors.

Other unmissable sights include the Sheikh Zayed Bridge (quite literally, as you’ll likely use it to drive between Abu Dhabi Island and the mainland), designed by Zaha Hadid Architects; the coin-shaped Aldar HQ; and the city’s very own leaning tower, the Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, which is the world’s farthest manmade leaning building.