NEIGHBORHOODS, Deira
Language: English / USA
Hi, my name’s Rick, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: the historic center of Dubai.
Since its origins, the history of this city, which now has almost three million inhabitants, has always revolved around Dubai Creek or Khor Dubai. This navigable saltwater creek, of major importance in the past for trade and fishing, separates the two historic neighborhoods of Deira and Bur Dubai.
If you have the opportunity, I suggest taking a cruise along this fascinating waterway, where you can enjoy truly delightful views of the city, especially at sunset.
You can also take an abra (a typical Arab boat) to quickly cross from one side to the other or from one neighborhood to the next for a small price.
East of the Creek lies the Deira neighborhood, established towards the end of the 19th century and featuring some of the most interesting souks, or traditional Arab markets, in the city.
Deira is home to a number of historical buildings, such as the first school in Dubai, Al Ahmadiya, dating to 1912 and a museum since 1994, or the Heritage House. Both of these fascinating buildings reveal unfamiliar aspects of the local culture and traditions, Arab architecture and the materials and techniques used over a century ago by the inhabitants of such a hot country to ensure efficient ventilation, windcatchers, comparable to modern-day air conditioning, to cool their buildings.
In Deira you can also visit the interesting Bait Al Banat Women’s Museum and admire the works of female artists, designed to highlight the growing importance of women’s role in society.
The neighborhood also boasts modern skyscrapers such as the two Rolex Towers or Deira Twin Towers, or the headquarters of the National Bank of Dubai, truly striking and particularly elegant, as well as large shopping malls such as Al Ghurair, one of the first to be built in Dubai.
An interesting fact: I’ll be talking about the souks in a separate file, but you might like to know that Deira is home to one of the oldest, the Naif Souk, originally a camel market.
