Dubai Museum – transporting you back in time

Al Fahidi Fort, thought to be Dubai's oldest building still standing

, is home to the highly entertaining and interactive Dubai Museum. The fort built in 1787 to protect the city from the invasions of adjoining tribes was converted into a museum only in 1971. It served as a royal household as well as a prison from time to time. The museum was declared open by the then ruler of Dubai Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

The museum is a lively portrayal of life in Dubai before the advent of oil wealth. The main areas of the fort museum are centred around a courtyard in which lies a bronze cannon together with boats used in ancient times. Also in the courtyard is a life sized replica of a traditional house (Arish) made of palm fronds and then later with the traditional wind towers. The surrounding halls contain a vast weaponry collection as well as traditional musical instruments.

The galleries of the museum are situated underground and the first one takes the visitor through the birth and development of Dubai, by way of old maps and video displays.

Most interesting however are the dioramas, coupled with the light and sound effects that transport visitors to an ancient time and take them through bustling souqs, an urban setting with a mosque and school, desert camp life, and the sea trade. The life sized video images consist of various traders, their shops and life in the desert with the animals and date farms. Each item is minutely detailed. Most vivid is the diorama depicting the pearl trade. Items found through excavations and pearl merchant equipment are all displayed here.

Visitors to Dubai should certainly add the Dubai Museum to their itinerary as the visit is sure to be a fascinating one. If such visitors are looking for a hotel in Dubai and seek a modern yet traditional accommodation option then the Raffles Dubai, UAE with its unusual architecture and convenient location is an ideal luxury hotel Dubai.

Dubai Museum transporting you back in time

By: Pushpitha Wijesinghe

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