Al Qasimi Palace: Inside Ras Al Khaimah's grand 'haunted' house

Al Qasimi Palace, a grand private residence located in Ras Al Khaimah, has garnered a reputation as a haunted house over the years. Built in 1975, the palace sat empty for about 35 years before becoming a museum in 2019, which contributed to its spooky reputation. The palace's history dates back to the 1970s when it was commissioned by Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Humaid Al Qasimi, a member of Ras Al Khaimah's ruling family.

The building was constructed on a hilltop site with views across the emirate, featuring a mix of local, Indian, Moroccan, French, and Belgian influences in its ornate furnishings, colorful tiles, painted ceilings, and decorative sculptures.

The palace remained unoccupied for years, leading to stories of strange activity, such as children's faces appearing at windows, furniture moving on its own, and supernatural spirits, or jinn, occupying the building. Some people even reported scratching out the eyes of humans and animals from paintings and beheading plaster birds, believing it would ward off jinn.

Despite these rumors, the palace's owner, Tareq Al Sharhan, believes some of the noises that fueled these tales can be attributed to people sneaking inside and moving around the building without permission during the years it was largely empty.

Al Sharhan, who bought the property in 2019, spent time restoring the palace, repairing murals, sculptures, tiles, and furniture, as well as the gardens. The palace opened as a museum in late 2019, attracting visitors curious about its haunted reputation. Al Sharhan believes some of the artworks within the palace could be worth millions of dirhams, although this has not been independently verified. The palace is currently up for sale at Dh23.5 million, including its furniture and artifacts.