Mezyad Castle:
From: Department of Culture and Heritage - Abu Dhabi - Mezyad Castle, copy retained 21 January 2008.
- Mezyad castle is situated in the Al Ain region at the foot of Jabal Hafeet. It has been restored so that visitors can get acquainted with one of the largest castles in the region. Its construction dates back to the nineteenth century, but it is not known who built it.
Its rectangular building extends over an area of approximately 2,600 square meters. It is surrounded by tall, cylindrical watchtowers on three corners, which surround a courtyard that contains a palm plantation.
- As reported in Al-Khaleej newspaper on 11/08/2016: Mezyad Castle is an ancient Islamic fortress located south of Al-Ain. The courtyard where the date palm plantation is located is surrounded by more than forty rooms built from the inside with barricades four meters high.
The castle’s large stores contributed to accommodating and providing support to the army, as well as providing shelter for families in the area during times of siege, in addition to being a venue for public meetings. The towers have openings to fire weapons.
The balconies are triangular in shape with regular openings and gaps inserted into the walls, making it one of the largest fortified buildings in the UAE.
_ In an interview conducted with journalist Saif bin Saeed bin Ali Al-Salaf Al-Nuaimi in his home in the Al-Zahir region on 20/09/2016,
he mentioned that the Mezyad Castle was built by the Al-Mezaydeh people who were from Al-Nawasser from the city of Al Ain. He also mentioned that the castle was restored by the late Sheikh Zayed, who was keen to maintain it, it later becoming a police station before a tourist site.