In addition to the beach, the Burj Khalifa, and the desert, I was also able to visit the principle museum in Dubai during my time there.
The
Dubai Museum, located in the old Al Fahidi Fort (the oldest existing building in Dubai), opened in 1971 - the same year the United Arab Emirates was formed. The museum is right next to the Bastakiya Quarter, the historic part of town where many Iranians from the Bastak region of Iran emigrated to in the late 19th century.
The museum's galleries, artifacts, dioramas, and recreated scenes depict the traditional way of life in the UAE before the discovery of oil in the 1950's, when fishing and pearling were the backbone of the economy.
You will see recreated traditional Arab houses, mosques, and souks, among other things. Towards the end of the tour you will experience the pearl diving display showing the hard work that pearl merchants and divers engaged in.
Some artifacts date as far back as 3,000 B.C.
Click
here for visiting hours, entry fees, and contact information.
Video and pictures below.
 |
| Entrance to the museum. |
 |
| Dhow boat on top of the museum. |
 |
| Cool front door. |
 |
| That's the first high-rise built in Dubai. |
 |
| Humans have historically built with the environment and local climate in mind, that is, until fossil fuels came along. |
 |
| "I'll trade you..." |
 |
| Looks real-ish, but it isn't. |
 |
| Working hard to get those pearls. |
 |
| The boat again. |
