Dubai Museum

Heritage sites and Places of interest

Dubai Museum
Al Fahidi Fort, which houses the dubai Museum, was built around 1787, and once guarded the landward approaches to the town.
Revonated in 1971 for use as a museum, its colourful life size dioramas vividly depict everyday life in the days before the discovery of oil. Galleries recreate scenes from the Creek, traditional Arab houses, mosques, the souk, date farms and desert and marine life. One of the more spectacular exhibits portrays pearl diving, including sets of pearl merchants’ weights, scales and sieves. Also on display, are artifacts from several excavations in the emirate, recovered from graves that date back to the third millennium BC.

Sheikh Saeed’s House
The official residence of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai (1912-1958) and grandfather of the present Ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktourm, has been restored to stand proud again on the Shandagha end of Dubai Creek.
The house, which dates from 1896, today houses a rare collection of historic photographs, coins, stamps and documents that record Dubai’s history.

The Bastakiya
The old district of Bastakiya with its narrow lanes and tall windtowers provides a hint of okd Dubai. A Short walk from Al Fahidi Fort, it is the largest concentration of traditional courtyard houses in Dubai.

Hatta Heritage Village
Nestled among the Hajjar Mountains, overlooking a fertile oasis, the 16th century Hatta village provides a fine example of traditional style village architecture. Dating back four hundred years, it consists of two watchtowers, a mosque and houses constructed of stone, mud, reeds and palm tree trunks built around the imposing Hatta Fort domination the village.

Burj Nahar
One of the many watchtowers that once guarded the old city, built in 1870, the restored Burj Nahar in 1992 in its picturesque gardens in Deira is popular with photographers.

Sheikh Obaid bin Thani House
Located in the Shindagha area near Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, it was built in 1916. The 1250 sq.m two storey house is made of stone and mud with traditional style windows, doors and facades. The house is currently undergoing conversion to a museum.

Bait Al Wakeel
Built in 1934 by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Bait Al Wakeel was the first office building in Dubai. At the edge of the Creek near the abra landing, the building’s restoration was completed in 1995.

Heritage Village and Diving Village
A traditional heritage village, located near the mouth of Dubai Creek in the Shindagha district, features potters and weavers practicing traditional crafts, as well as exhibits and demonstrations of pearl diving. It is a place where the visitors can take a step back in time and experience some of Dubai’s culture and heritage.

Al Ahmadiya School
Established in 1912, Al Ahmadiya School was the first regular school in Dubai, located in the Al-Ras area of Deira. The two-storey building was renovated in 1995 for use as a museum of education.

Heriatage House
The oldest part of the house dates back to the 1890s, with many newer parts added in later years. It is a large courtyard house with more than 10 rooms and a rectangular windtower.

Majlis Um-Al Sheif
Built around 1955 as a summer retreat for the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the majlis is located in the Jumeirah area near the sea and features a traditional palm tree garden with a ‘falaj’ irrigation system.

Bur Dubai Creekside
The buildings lining the Bur Dubai side of the creek provided the main panorama of the old city. The traditional facades of these buildings have been restored to their original state, with wooden windows, decorative gypsum panels and screens.

Old Souks
The two main souks of Bur Dubai and Deira are being restored to highlight the historical commercial roots of the city. Both markets are covered with traditional roofing and materials, with shops featuring old-style wooden doors.

Archaeological Sites
There are four main excavation sites in Dubai, at Al Qusais, Al Sufooh, Jumeirah and Hatta. The first two are graveyards dating back more than 2,000 years. The Jumeirah site reveals artifacts from the 7th to 15th centuries AD. These sites are not yet open to the public. However tourists or tour operators may obtain a special permit from Dubai Museum to visit the digs.

Roundhouse
Located on the Dubai’s Beach road on site of former ruler H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum’s office. A replica of the ‘Roundhouse’ has been constructed to honour the site where documents were signed in 1972 for the formation of UAE, uniting the ecirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman. Ras Al Khaimah joined later.

The United Arab Emirates
Dubai is the second largest of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates and ranks as the country’s leading commercial centre. Abu Dhabi, which is the federal capital, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are the other six emirates.

Location and Area
Dubai is located on the southern shore of the Gulf in the south-eastern part of the Arabian peninsula. It lies between 55˚16 East and 25˚16 North. The total area of the Emirates is 3,885 sq.km.

Visas
Please check the VISA situation at time of booking

Climate
Dubai has a sub-tropical arid climate. Temperatures range from 10 to 30 degrees celcius in winter and can reach as high as 48 degrees celcius in summer. Rainfall is predominantly in winter and amounts to some 13cm annually.

Clothing
Lightweight summer clothing can be worn for most of the year, but the temperature can drop quite sharply at night during the winter. At the pool or on the beaches, trunks, swim-suits, shorts or bikinis are quite acceptable but, when in the city, care should be taken not to give offence by wearing clothing which may be considered revealing.

Language
The national language is Arabic but English is widely used in business.

Alcohol
Alcohol is freely available in hotel restaurants and bars, but not outside the hotels.

Photography
Normal tourist photography is acceptable but it is considered offensive to photograph Muslim women. It is also courteous to request permission before photographing men.

Currency
The monetary unit is the Dirham (Dh) which is divided into 100 fils.

Banks
Many international banks are represented by branches in Dubai. Bank hours are 08h00 to 13h00 Saturday though Wednesday, 08h00 to 12 noon Thursday. Some are open 16h30 to 18h30.

Credit Cards
American Express, Diners Club, Visa, Mastercard etc. are generally accepted in the main hotels and the larger shops.

Tipping
Tipping practices are similar to most parts of the world. Where no service charge is included, 10 percent is adequate.

Bargaining
Bargaining is expected in the souk and is quite usual elsewhere. Vendors will usually drop the price and often quite substantially, particularly for a cash sale.

Electricity
The electricity supply in Dubai is 220/240 volts at 50 cycles. US-made appliances may need a transformer.

Water
Tap water is quite safe to drink. But locally bottled mineral water is generally served in hotels and restaurants.

Medical Care
Medical services in Dubai are of an international standard