Al Shindagha Museum — Attraction in Dubai

Al Shindagha historic neighbourhood is located on the shore of Dubai Creek, bordered on the south by Bur Dubai and on the west by Port Rashid. Al Shindagha district began to expand when the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, settled in the neighbourhood from 1912 to 1958

Set along the historic waters of Dubai Creek, Al Shindagha Museum tells the proud story of the nation’s past and reverent traditions. The museum’s 'Dubai Creek: Birth of a City' is a state-of-the-art multimedia experience that guides visitors through the area’s dramatic development over centuries.

The carefully-curated tour features interactive videos, touch displays and photographs and artefacts so visitors can gain insight into what it was like for Emiratis to raise a family by the waterways, and how maritime trade affected their livelihoods.

As part of Dubai’s Historic District, along with Deira and Bur Dubai, Al Shindagha is currently undergoing major conservation and renovation work to turn the district into a prominent cultural destination. Our scope for the renovation initiative of Dubai’s Historic District consists of three distinct projects which include the Expo 2020 Shindagha Welcome Pavilion, Story of the Creek, and the Perfume House.

The design approach originates from studying Al Shindagha’s heritage and context, aiming at reviving and restoring the neighbourhood’s identity in a contemporary setting. Designing a visitor centre and museum in a context with many historic layers was a challenging experience that was overcome by creating a coherent synthesis between the old and new. Traditionally, the district’s fabric portrayed harmony and integration between the natural and built environments. X Architects steered the design in a direction that revisits the past and reinterprets it in an innovative methodology while remaining rooted in the rich cultural heritage.

The Shindagha Expo 2020 Welcome Pavilion, is a new proposed building that acts as a meeting point and information centre for the expected visitors of Dubai’s Historic District. Situated between traditional mud houses, the pavilion is designed as an open ‘plaza’ with a roof. Teak wood has been chosen for the construction of this roof, as an acknowledgment of the significant role wooden dhows played in the triumph of Old Dubai. The shifting walls provide the flexibility to contain the space or let it flow out into the...

We visited this Museum during EID 2023. I visited it with my daughter and we liked it so much we came back the next day as a whole family. Big thank you to all the staff that has been there during their EID celebration. It's the time you spend with your family, but instead they were welcoming us. We had a real cultural experience. They organized it as if we were coming to their house to celebrate Eid with them. We got to know more about how Eid is being celebrated, what they wear, what they offer to the guests, what perfumes they use for them, and what for their house.

The museum is made in a historical neighborhood, so you are visiting different houses ( eg. Perfume House, Traditional Crafts house, Food House, Life on the sea House, Healthcare House, Life in the Land.....etc.)

Make sure you come early and you have a whole day for it, as we were not able to see everything we wanted.

During EID they organized workshops - we did Bakhoor - perfume for a house in Perfume House - you can keep it, then we made Bakhoor burner in Traditional Crafts house - you can keep it. Then my daughters did necklaces in Jewelery house - you can keep it and in the end we went to Food house where we prepared traditional sweets made from flour, cardamom, date paste and gee ( not sure about the name) - you can keep it.

In the museum they told us workshops are usually held on weekends. There was an option to have henna, but we didn't do it so I don't know the details.

Overall great experience, absolutely authentic and must visit if you want to know what Dubai is, and what's hiding behind the...

The experience at this place was simply mind-blowing!

Its really a "Hidden Gem" in Dubai. The museum has so much to offer and you would probably have to make few visits to cover all the houses and to let the information sink-in as its an information power house for history lovers and kids.

We had the privilege of meeting Paawan, who helped us a lot with pre-planning, who went the extra mile to plan an amazingly curated tour, which was focused on my son's history syllabus.

We also had the privilege of having the superstar Maryam as our cultural guide, who was literally AWSOME! We have been in different museums many times but we haven't met someone like her, who's so genuinely passionate and enthusiastic about what she does. We had a long four hour tour around the houses and I never saw a sign of her being tired or irritated by the infinite number of questions that my son was asking, which shows how much she's passionate about what she does. Maryam being an Emirati, we learned so much unknows facts and information about UAE, its heritage and culture from her, which was really inspiring.

In a nutshell, this place is a must visit destination in Dubai, specially if you have kids. I guarantee that it will be an unforgettable experience for the whole family. Most importantly, make sure to do the tour with the help of a cultural guide as you will be surprised how much difference it would make!

Finally, a big shout out to Paawan and Maryam for hosting and facilitating us. You guys rock! Keep up...