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THE GLITTER and splendor of Dubai, United Arab Emirates with its skyscrapers is familiar to tourists, however, perhaps many people don’t know that Dubai also has an interesting destination for historical tourism.
Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, formerly known as Al Bastakiya, can take tourists back to the 1890s. This historic area in Dubai was built by Persian textile and pearl traders. The following three locations in Dubai’s Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood are interesting to visit for historical tourism, quoted from the Dubai Economy and Tourism press release, Thursday (9/21), 2023.
1. Explore heritage and culture
The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Center for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) is surrounded by more than 50 traditional Emirati houses. Visit the Coin Museum, a house converted into a repository for historical objects.
The Coin Museum in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood holds at least 470 rare coins from various periods, including the British Empire and India. Also take the time to visit the Symposium House and Event House to see crafts made by local craftsmen. Meanwhile at Calligraphy House Dar Al Khatt, visitors can see Arabic calligraphy.
2. Coffee Museum
Coffee has always been an important part of Arab culture, so it’s no surprise that Dubai’s Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood has a Coffee Museum. There, tourists can learn the legend of Kaldi, a goat herder who discovered coffee beans in the Ethiopian highlands and brought them to Dubai. The coffee museum also has interesting artifacts such as a coffee grinder from the World War I era.
3. Dubai River
After sipping a typical Arabic coffee, it was time to cross the Dubai River, which is a popular residential location and a place of development of ports and pearls.
For 1 dirham (around IDR4,000), tourists can take the traditional Abra ferry to cross the river that separates the historic area of Bur Dubai from Deira, the modern city center.
After crossing, visit the spice market to sample a variety of flavors and discover new recipes. Like traditional markets, traders at Spice Souk are open to bargaining and visitors can save money if they buy in large quantities. [sources/photo special]
