Al Ain Random Interval Photo Blog

Zayed Roundabout

2010-11-15T09:05:00.002-05:00

Sheikh Zayed

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the first president of the UAE, from its founding in 1971 until his death in 2004.

2010-11-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

Incense Burner Statue

This is another statue in the middle of a roundabout.

Downtown Fountains

2010-11-12T09:50:00.000-05:00

Desert outside Al Ain

2010-11-11T09:02:00.000-05:00

Desert just north of Al Ain

Camel Family

2010-11-10T11:23:00.001-05:00

Camel Family

Dar Zayed

2009-10-10T05:10:00.003-05:00

Detail from wall inside Bin Hammoudah Mosque

2009-10-10T05:06:00.003-05:00

Downtown Fence

2008-06-07T17:28:00.001-05:00

Most of the major streets of downtown Al Ain are divided (by direction of travel) by fences like this. The artwork on the fence varies, sometimes a della like here, or incense burner or mosque.

Dellas

2008-02-23T12:16:00.003-05:00

Dellas, Arabic Coffeepots

The della, the distinctively shaped coffeepot, is the symbol of hospitality here. Serving guests cardamom-flavored coffee is an old bedouin tradition.

Just for a sense of perspective, the della in the coals is about a foot-high, so the large one is very large indeed.

Downtown Mosaic

2008-02-22T05:07:00.000-05:00

Mosaic on Flyover Bridge

Khanjar

2008-02-20T12:26:00.003-05:00

Khanjar, Al Ain Palace Museum

A Khanjar is a traditional dagger from Oman and the area of the UAE around Al Ain. This one is at the Al Ain Palace Museum, birth place of Sheikh Zayed, first president of the UAE.

Wedding Headdress

2008-02-19T07:03:00.000-05:00

Abayas for Sale

2008-02-18T11:42:00.002-05:00

Kandooras yesterday, abayas today. Emirati women wear these black garments over their clothes when in public. Many of them, like these, are decorated with beads, patterns, and embroidery.

Kandura Crossing

2008-02-17T13:16:00.001-05:00

Kandura Crossing

Parking Lot Cricket

2008-02-15T22:24:00.001-05:00

Pakistani Laborers enjoying a game of cricket in an empty parking lot

Downtown Al Ain from Al Nagfa

2007-12-29T14:21:00.000-05:00

Al Nagfa is a recreation area on top of a hill that overlooks Al Ain. This is part of the view from there. You can see the oasis in the foreground.

Mountain Fog

2007-12-28T11:34:00.000-05:00

Mountain Fog

Little Mosque on the Prairie in the Desert

2007-12-26T11:55:00.000-05:00

Little Mosque ~~on the Prairie~~ in the Desert

Christmas Dawn at Jebel Hafeet

2007-12-25T06:01:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone

كل عام وأنتم بخير

Sand Dunes and Jebel Hafeet

2007-12-24T14:02:00.000-05:00

Sand Dunes & Jebel Hafeet

Merry Christmas from Al Ain

Al Nabagh Camel Racetrack

2007-12-23T14:51:00.000-05:00

Al Nabagh Camel Racetrack

Sunset Sky over Jebel Hafeet

2007-11-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

Moon Over Buraimi

2007-10-24T13:54:00.000-05:00

Moon Over Buraimi

Buraimi is the Omani town that is next to Al Ain.

Moon Over Buraimi

Al Ain Palace Well

2007-10-02T13:29:00.000-05:00

Al Massoudi Masjid by Night

2007-10-02T13:25:00.000-05:00

#53 - Zamboni

2007-07-17T13:39:00.000-05:00

Zamboni, Al Ain Mall Ice Rink

#52 - What's Up?

2007-07-15T15:05:00.000-05:00

What's up with you?

#51 - Mmm, Camels

2007-07-12T10:45:00.000-05:00

Red Crescent Camels

We live very near the Red Crescent. During the Eids, the two big Islamic holidays, they have a feast for the needy. We assume that these three were the main course at the end of Ramadan last year.

Gender Signs

2007-07-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

Gender Signs at Twam Hospital

Al Ain is a little more conservative than Dubai, and so the genders mix less here. One example of this is at Twam hospital's clinic. Each department has a male waiting room and a female waiting room, and each room has one of these signs over the door. The Arabic on the signs says (I think) first 5 (room 5 on the first floor, hence the F5 in English).

#49 - Mosque Detail

2007-07-03T15:32:00.000-05:00

Maybe I should call it

2007-07-03T15:31:00.000-05:00

"Al Ain Weekly Photo"?

Sorry, I'll try to do better.

#48 - Men at Work

2007-06-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

Men at Work

Crumbling Doorway

2007-06-08T05:18:00.000-05:00

#47 - Abayas

2007-06-07T14:32:00.000-05:00

Abayas for sale

Abayas are the national costume of Emirati women.

#46 - Ain Al Fayda

2007-06-06T15:07:00.001-05:00

Ain Al Fayda

Ain Al Fayda is a resort next to Jebel Hafeet

#45 - Camel Statues in Roundabout

2007-06-03T21:22:00.000-05:00

Camel Roundabout

These camels are in the middle of a roundabout near the airport.

Detail

Mosque

2007-06-03T08:41:00.000-05:00

Sheikha Salama Mosque, Al Ain
The End

History:
1
2
3

#44 - Trolley Parking

2007-05-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

Some men make extra money transporting shoppers' purchases. This cart, and some others, were chained up on a Friday morning when most of the shops downtown were closed.

#43 - Scarecrow

2007-05-05T10:34:00.000-05:00

Scarecrow

Some of the maintenance and cleaning staff at the library where I work have set up a garden in the back. Here you can see that they have set up a scarecrow out of one of their coveralls to discourage birds.

#42 - Baby Bird

2007-05-03T16:31:00.000-05:00

Baby bird

This little fellow fell out of his nest into our back porch a couple of days ago. Fortunately for him, it is walled in, so the neighborhood cats can't get him. His parents have been coming down and feeding him, so maybe he will make it.

#41 - Mosque Detail

2007-05-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

Mosque Detail

#40 - Camel Souq

2007-04-27T15:05:00.000-05:00

Hili Camel Souq

Downtown Scene - #39

2007-04-15T13:58:00.000-05:00

Downtown Al Ain

I'm not sure what it is, but this photo really seems to embody downtown Al Ain to me. Maybe it is the illegally parked cars and the beautiful flowers.

Blooming Flowers - #38

2007-04-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

Mosque

2007-04-14T05:12:00.000-05:00

Po - #37

2007-04-13T13:27:00.000-05:00

Teletubbie Po at Al Jimi Mall

There are usually two men dressed as Teletubbies at the mall, greeting the kids and selling balloons and blowup toys. The costumes that they wear seem to be murderously hot; periodically you will see one of the men with his mask off, his face drenched in sweat. Despite how physically uncomfortable they must be, they are always friendly and gentle with the children.

Shop Til You Drop - #36

2007-04-10T12:56:00.000-05:00

Broken Shopping Cart

Camels - #35

2007-04-09T13:04:00.000-05:00

Camels on the Road

Mosque Window - #34

2007-04-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Mosque Window

Riding Lesson - #33

2007-04-06T13:42:00.000-05:00

Morning Riding Lesson

Mosque Doorway - #32

2007-04-05T14:45:00.001-05:00

Mosque Detail - #31

2007-03-30T00:20:00.000-05:00

Sheikha Salama Mosque

Al Ain Zoo - #30

2007-03-29T14:17:00.000-05:00

Giraffe at the Al Ain Zoo

UAE University - #29

2007-03-26T13:34:00.000-05:00

UAE University Campus

Mosque Water Fountain - #28

2007-03-17T00:14:00.000-05:00

Drinking Water, Bin Hammoudah Mosque, Al Ain

You can see a lot more photos of this beautiful mosque here at my other blog.

Illegal Butterfly Photo - #27

2007-03-16T04:39:00.000-05:00

Illegal Butterfly Photo

OK, not really "illegal", but as we were taking this, a security guard came up to us and told us to quit taking pictures in the mall.

Water Dispenser - #26

2007-03-15T04:35:00.000-05:00

Water dispenser outside Mosque

You see these free water dispensers frequently outside mosques and the gates of very large houses. The dispensers have a filter in the back to make the water safe to drink.

Camel Statue - #25

2007-03-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

Camel Statue

Minaret - #24

2007-03-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

Minaret at Sunset

Minaret - #23

2007-03-12T13:16:00.000-05:00

Minaret as viewed from the subway

Tentmaker's Shop - #22

2007-03-11T11:24:00.000-05:00

Tentmaker's Shop, Al Ain

Neighborhood Mosque - #21

2007-03-10T06:23:00.000-05:00

Mosque in Shabhanat Al Khabisi, Al Ain

Al Ain has many large beautiful mosques, but even more it has smaller neighborhood mosques like this one.

If you are wondering what the sign is about, it is advertising a take out restaurant that shares the building. When I first saw this, it seemed really bizarre to have small groceries or restaurants in the same building as the mosque, but it is very common here.

Reflective Window - #20

2007-03-09T08:19:00.000-05:00

Reflective Window, Zayed Central Library - UAE University

Chickens - #19

2007-03-08T22:29:00.000-05:00

Chickens, Al Ain

In our old neighborhood, several of our neighbors kept chickens, though they ran loose rather than being cooped up.

Al Jimi Mall - #18

2007-03-07T14:07:00.000-05:00

Al Jimi Mall Expansion, Al Ain

Sheikh Zayed Roundabout - #17

2007-03-06T11:57:00.000-05:00

Sheikh Zayed Roundabout, Al Ain

This is a statue of Sheikh Zayed, the first president of the UAE. The text to the left of the palm tree is "الخير", "the good" in Arabic.

Alley Sink - #16

2007-03-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

Alley Sink, Al Ain

I was walking around downtown Al Ain when I saw this sink in one of the alleys.

Birds Behind Bars - #15

2007-03-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

Pigeons, Al Ain

Al Ain has more than its share of pigeons (or "winged rats" as they should be called). These two were the bane of my existence for my first year here. They lived right above the front door of the house and their excrement (as well as several of their eggs and one of their dead hatchlings) constantly ended up on the porch.

Castle Roundabout - #14

2007-03-03T23:45:00.000-05:00

Castle Roundabout, Al Ain

Another piece of artwork in the middle of an Al Ain roundabout.

Wedding Tent - #13

2007-03-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

Wedding Tent, Al Ain

Weddings are huge, multi-day affairs here. One of the families involved had this tent put up last summer to entertain guests. It blocked off the road for four days. Those are very large AC units attached to the the tent.

Sheikha Salama Mosque Roundabout - #12

2007-03-01T06:05:00.000-05:00

Sheikha Salama Mosque Roundabout, Al Ain

The Sheikha Salama Mosque was built by Sheikh Zayed, first president of the UAE, in honor of his mother. You can see pictures and read more about it on my other blog.

More Stars - #11

2007-02-28T05:40:00.000-05:00

Eight Pointed Stars, Al Ain

More of the eight pointed stars, this time in a brick sidewalk around a roundabout.

Murabbaa Fort - #10

2007-02-27T04:50:00.000-05:00

Murabbaa Fort, Al Ain

This is the main building of this fort, one of many here in Al Ain. You can see its gate and read a little of its history of it here.

Pink Pather Ad - #9

2007-02-26T00:53:00.000-05:00

Al Ain Mall Advertisement

I think that the text translates to "Wow!! The only [or preferred or best] location for school supplies".

Graffiti - #8

2007-02-25T00:39:00.000-05:00

Graffiti, Al Ain

Graffiti, one of the constants of the world. I still remember learning in Latin class that the Romans would write their names and the like on the walls of Rome.

Three Keys to Al Ain - #7

2007-02-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

Water, Date Palms, and Islam

Al Ain Subway - #6

2007-02-23T06:02:00.000-05:00

Al Ain Subway

Al Ain has several "subways" (including one Subway restaurant), but no subway trains. Instead the subways are subterranean walkways under the roads.

Murabbaa Fort - #5

2007-02-22T06:57:00.000-05:00

Front Gate, Murabbaa Fort, Al Ain

The Murabbaa Fort, named for the area of Al Ain in which it sits, was built by Sheikh Zayed in the 1940's. At that time he was still Ruler's Representative of the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi. His brother Sheikh Shakboot was still ruler of Abu Dhabi. In 1966, he would succeed his brother as Ruler of Abu Dhabi and then five years later became the first President of the UAE, a position he held until his death a little more than two years ago.

The fort was one of several in and around Al Ain built to protect the nearby oases from raiders. It was also used as an administrative and police center.

The gate has the very common eight-pointed star motif. This pattern reoccurs almost everywhere as a decoration here in Al Ain.

Sunset from Jabal Hafeet - #4

2007-02-21T05:53:00.000-05:00

Sunset from Jabal Hafeet, Al Ain

Jabal Hafeet is the tallest mountain on the Arabian Peninsula. Just south of Al Ain, it rises up seemingly out of nowhere, as all the land to the north is flat desert. Because of this it provides some really spectacular views of the Al Ain and the desert.

Mandoos Roundabout - #3

2007-02-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Mandoos Roundabout, Al Ain

The sculpture in the the middle of this roundabout has three elements of Emirati culture. A mandoos is a traditional Emirati chest for storing valuables. One of the mainstays of the Emirati economy before oil was discovered was pearl diving. And of course under the mandoos is one of the beautiful rugs that the region is known for.

Camel Farm - #2

2007-02-19T05:26:00.000-05:00

Camel Farm, Al Foah

One of the students at the University invited our whole family to his camel farm in Al Foah, just north of Al Ain. This picture is from that visit.

Clock - #1

2007-02-19T02:56:00.000-05:00

Clock, Downtown Al Ain

This clock is across the street from Emirates Post in downtown Al Ain. It is a huge clock, about 10 meters across.