Today Dubai attracts millions of tourists from around the world. It offers its visitors not only beach holidays but also top notch shopping and cultural experiences. We tell you about the best places to visit in this sunny city.
Jumeirah Mosque
Jumeirah area has one of the most beautiful mosques in the country. Built in the 1970s the architecture is in the Fatimid style of the Middle Ages. Inside the Jumeirah Mosque is decorated with geometric patterns and Arabic script. The women’s hall is decorated with floral designs. The light coloured mosque with openwork towers and minarets was the first in the country and is open to all religions.
The mosque is near the Persian Gulf coast. It’s not far from the city centre and about 10-15 minutes by car. By the way having a car will be very important if you want to see all the best of Dubai. Luckily in the UAE there are no problems with car rentals at all – here car rentals are cheap and the cars are good. So no need to take public transport as it’s better to do it in the comfort of an inexpensive car.
Museum of the Future
The Museum of the Future opened in Dubai in February 2022 and has become a global sensation. Architect Sean Kill designed the unique building with a torus shape, built with latest technology. The diagonal-mesh frame is unsupported, the structure is clad in fiberglass and steel panels and each component is one off. The Arabic script on the silver surface is quotes from Dubai’s Emir, Sheikh Mohammed, about the future of the country and humanity. The inscriptions are made of glass and are lit up at night with LEDs. A trapezoid shaped cushion covered in grass is placed beneath the 61 meter high structure. The main entrance of the museum is through the arched portal at the bottom.
Visitors can take the capsule elevators from the luxurious lobby to the start of the exhibition, the Space Technology Hall, on the 5th floor. The tour goes from top to bottom. The “Vault of Life” an exhibition about nature and ecology is on the 4th floor. The 3rd floor is for Al Waha Medical Institute. Everything here is about human ability to survive in today’s world and resist stressors that harm health. The “Tomorrow Today” exhibition on the 2nd floor is about future of urban transportation that is safe and eco friendly, new developments in environmental protection, artificial intelligence and robots. The 1st floor has a children’s play area called “Heroes of the Future”.
Etihad Museum
The Etihad Museum opened in Dubai in 2016 and has exhibitions about the UAE’s history before and after the unification of the emirates. The museum is near Union House where the Seven Emirates’ agreement was signed. The architects of the museum building commemorated the historic event by its form. It looks like a folded piece of paper. Seven columns inside the pavilions represent the number of pens used to sign the document.
Eight pavilions have photographs, documents and official UAE symbols. A historical documentary film is shown in the cinema. One of the halls has a large interactive map of the Emirates before the formation of one country. Each exhibition has multimedia equipment.
Bastakiya Neighborhood
Bastakiya is an historic neighborhood located on the shores of the Persian Gulf between Dubai Bay and Al Fahidi Fort. It was built in the late 19th century by wealthy Iranian merchants who moved to Dubai. Since 1962 when oil was discovered in the Emirates, the country and the city has been developing fast and the residents of Old Dubai started to move to new areas. Bastakia started to decline and during the construction boom the old buildings were planned to be demolished but later changed their minds.
In the 1990s the government bought the houses from the previous owners and the restoration of the old neighborhoods started. Today there are many coffee shops, restaurants and art galleries along the narrow streets which are shaded from the sun by awnings. Bastakia has several museums, Sheikh Mohammed Cultural Center and a lively Arab market where fabrics, gold, spices and souvenirs are sold.
Sculpture “Together”
A sculptural group titled “Together” (Together) is installed near Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai, the business district of Dubai. The composition was created in 2016 and was placed in a public garden near the iconic Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. The pedestal has two 4.25 meter tall figures dressed in traditional Arab attire. The male figure is made of snow white Carrara marble from Italy. The female figure is made of black labradorite from Scandinavian quarries. Lutfi Romhein the famous sculptor created the composition.
Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House
The Sheikh Saeed House Museum is located on the shores of Dubai Creek Bay in the historic Al Shindagha area. Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum is the grandfather of Sheikh Mohammed the current Ruler of Dubai. For more than 50 years the Al Maktoum family lived here. State issues were solved, meetings were held and the Emir’s children were raised here.
After the Sheikh’s death a museum was established in the building with exhibits about the lives of all the generations of the monarch’s dynasty. The house has been preserved with its original furniture and the family hall has the personal belongings of the Sheikh’s family members, rare photographs, documents and stamp and coin collections. Other rooms have exhibits about Dubai’s history.
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So much to see! Come to Dubai with your family or on your honeymoon, rent a car https://drive.yango.com/ and explore on your own the best of cultural heritage. Use our guide and don’t forget to try the food.
