Al Jahili Fort and the Thesiger collection

Al Jahili was built in 1891 by Sheikh Zayed the First, grandfather of the UAE's founding president, to protect the oasis and its farmland. It has a large square tower, round corner towers and crenellated walls, with a courtyard and exhibition rooms. It sits in a public park with lawns and shaded benches, which makes it an easy stop with children.

The fort houses a permanent exhibition of the photographs and writings of Wilfred Thesiger, the British explorer who crossed the Empty Quarter in the 1940s and photographed life among the Bedouin. They are a rare visual record of a region before oil and a good complement to a desert visit today. Allow time to read the captions.

The fort is close to the oasis and the Al Ain Museum, so it slots into an afternoon after a morning in the palms. Late afternoon light on the fort walls is the best time for photographs. Check opening days and hours with the official page, as they change with the season.

The fort sits inside Al Jahili Park, which has shaded lawns and benches, so it is an easy stop with children and with older relatives. Allow an hour for the fort and the Thesiger exhibition and a little more if you walk the park. Photography is generally fine in the courtyard, but check any signs inside the exhibition rooms.

It pairs well with the Al Ain Palace Museum, the former home of the UAE's founding president, which is close by. If you have only half a day, do the oasis and the fort together and leave Jebel Hafeet for a longer trip.