Al Bastakiya — Attraction in Dubai

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood is a historic district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The construction of Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood dates back to the 1890s. In its prime, the locality was capable of 60 housing units, most of which were separated by narrow, winding lanes. The town of Al Bastakiya was primarily built by the affluent Persian Merchants drawn to Dubai by the rich trade opportunities and incentives offered by the Emirati government, the district was named after the southern Iranian town of Bastak.

In the 1980s half of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood village was destroyed to make way for the development of a new office complex. The remaining houses were mostly used as warehouses or accommodation for foreign laborers. In 1989, the Dubai Municipality directed that the remaining parts of Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood were to be demolished. Rayner Otter, a British architect, came to the area and made extensive renovation in the house where he was staying. Rayner started a campaign to preserve the area and wrote a letter to Prince Charles, who was scheduled to visit Dubai that year. On his arrival, Prince Charles asked to visit Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood and explored the whole area with Rayner Otter. During his visit the Prince suggested that Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood should be preserved and the demolition was canceled.

In 2005, a project was initiated by the Dubai Municipality to restore the localities of old buildings and lanes.

Places in Al Bastakiya Al Bastakiya consist of several places which includes:

Mawaheb Gallery Mawaheb meaning in Arabic is an art studio.

Arabian Tea House Café The café is designed keeping in view the old heritage of Dubai people. It present the traditional Arabic food.

XVA Gallery Established in 2003, XVA Gallery is one of the leading galleries in the Middle East that specialise in contemporary art from the Arab world, Iran and the Subcontinent. Our exhibitions focus on works by the region's foremost artists as well as those emerging onto the scene.

Sheikh Muhammad Center for Cultural Understanding It is a non-profit organization. The purpose of creating this organization was to establish a relationship of culture between the people of Dubai.

Coffee Museum Main article: Dubai Coffee Museum The Museum consist of two floors. On ground floor different roasting and brewing style are demonstrated live. On the second floor there are history books area relates to coffee.

Make Art Café This art café is opened in November 2015, the MAKE Art Café runs its operations from the courtyard of a charming heritage villa in one of the most attractive heritage...

The construction of Al Bastakiya dates to the 1890s. In its prime, the locality was capable of 60 housing units, most of which were separated by narrow, winding lanes. The town of Al Bastakiya was primarily built by the affluent Persian Merchants drawn to Dubai by the rich trade opportunities and incentives offered by the Emirati government; the district was named after the southern Iranian town of Bastak.

In the 1980s half of Al Bastakiya was destroyed to make way for the development of a new office complex. The remaining houses were mostly used as warehouses or accommodation for foreign laborers. In 1989, the Dubai Municipality directed that the remaining parts of Al Bastakiya were to be demolished. Rayner Otter, a British architect, came to the area and made extensive renovation in the house where he was staying. Rayner started a campaign to preserve the area and wrote a letter to Prince Charles, who was scheduled to visit Dubai that year. On his arrival, Prince Charles asked to visit Al Bastakiya and explored the whole area with Rayner Otter. During his visit the prince suggested that Al Bastakiya should be preserved and the demolition was cancelled. In 2005, a project was initiated by the Dubai Municipality to restore the localities of old buildings and lanes. The name was later changed from Al Bastakiya to Al Fahidi Historical...

I visited this museum recently and found it to be mildly interesting. The exhibits were well-curated and informative.

The museum staff were friendly and helpful, but I didn't have any standout interactions with them. The layout of the museum was easy to navigate, and there were plenty of areas to sit and rest if needed.

Overall, while I wouldn't say that I was blown away by this museum, I still found it to be worth the visit. If you have a mild interest in the subject matter, it could be a decent way to spend...