FORTRESS

As collected from January 1955 to December 1955

The Dhafra and Liwa (Al Jiwa)

The whole area between the Sabkhat Matti and Khatam and from the sea to the Rub’ al Khali is known as the Dhafra (Al Dhafra).

Liwa (or Al Jiwa) is an oasis in the desert, some 50 miles south of the central point of the Trucial Coast (UAE). It extends for a distance of between 40 and 50 miles from west to east between longitude 53º 10’ E. and longitude 54º 10’E., and has an average width of about 25 miles from south to north between latitude 23º 0’ N. and latitude 23º 30’ N.

Liwa consists of golden yellow and red undulating sand dunes, rising in places to 300 feet above plains, with depressions of gravel or gypsum running east and west between them. In each depressions, there are small areas of comparatively fertile soil, some of which support groves of date palms; there are also wells of sweet water.

Rectangular houses, made of palm fronds, are erected on the slopes of the dunes for the sake of coolness. Some barricades of palm fronds enclose groups of two or three houses inhabited by one family; while other barricades, built along the tops of dunes, shield the palm trees from encroaching sand (Hada’ar)

The settlements stretch in an arc rising from Arada at the south-western end north-eastward to Latir, and descending south-eastwards more gradually, but further south, to Al Jurairah at the south-eastern end. They are close together but invisible to each other, because of the height of the dunes between them. The settlements consist of palm frond houses, some of which are permanently occupied.

Bateen - sometimes called Bateen Liwa - is a stretch of desert south of Liwa (regarded still as a part of Liwa) which runs east and west the whole length of Liwa. Bateen consists of ridges of sand dunes, running west-south-west, and rising somewhat higher than the dunes of Liwa - sometimes to 300 or 400 feet from the white salt flats which separate them by half a mile to two miles. The northern slopes of these ridges are gentle and usually broken, the southern almost vertical. The vegetation is richer and more varied, but the water is worse than that of Liwa. There are many wells in Bateen, and a few small groves of stunted palms round the wells on its northern fringe. The greater part of the vegetation consists of salt bushes (Harm and Shinan), on which camels graze. Most of the wells are salt, those in the south so much so as to be undrinkable. For this reason, the area is sparsely inhabited and without permanent settlements.

There have been forts in Liwa for more than three centuries, and the Al bu Falah sheikhs of Abu Dhabi (Al Nahyan) have continued to build and maintain them there ever since. The following is a list of such as they exist today (Circa 1950s), whether intact or ruinous:-

• Al Idd: Built around 1907 by the Manaseer (Al bu Mundhir) now in ruins.

• Al Mariyah Al Gharbiyah: Built around 1912 by orders of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.

• Al Jabbanah: Destroyed in 1889.

• Khannour: Built by the Bani Yas around 1802. Destroyed in 1889 in the Battle of Khannour.

• Hassan: The oldest fort in Liwa, of which only the barest remains. There used to be an air strip in Hassan that Sheikh Shakhbout used in 1962 when he flew from Liwa to Abu Dhabi.

• Mougab: Built by Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa . Now in ruins.

• Qutuf: Built around 1922 by the Bani Yas.

• Dhafeer: Built around 1917 by the Bani Yas.

• Umm Al Hosn and Hayla Tower (Taraq): Built by the Manaseer (1883-1890)

• Numail (Al Meel): Built by the Al bu Falah, but destroyed in 1889.

Six of the sections of the tribe contribute to the population of the Liwa settlements - principally the Mazari’a (Almazrouei) in the west, the Maharbiah (Almehairbi) and Qubaisat (Alqubaisi) in the centre, and the Hawamil (Alhameli) further east. Both the Bani Yas and the Manaseer (Almansoori) have lived together in Liwa for more than 100 years, owning houses and palm groves.