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Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 2:52 PM
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Nightsky Nightsky is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Malmö
Posts: 3,690
BUR DUBAI (OLD TOWN) and AL BASTAKIYA:

Bur Dubai is the oldest part of Dubai, so if you haven't visit Bur Dubai, you haven't actually been in Dubai! It is the historic city center, located at the Dubai Creek. On the opposite side of the creek is Deira, the old financial center, but much more modern then Bur Dubai. Most of the parts of Dubai that are situated south of Bur Dubai, were built less then 20 years ago. In the mid 1990s Bur Dubai was Dubai, and the rest was desert. Bur Dubai literally means Mainland Dubai. Since 2008, construction has going on on the extension of Dubai Creek, turning Bur Dubai into an island.

Here you can find the Ruler's Court, The Juma Grand Mosque (tallest minaret in Dubai), Al Fahidi Fort that hosts the Dubai Museum (oldest remaining buildign in Dubai), the Iranin Mosque, the only Hindu temple in the country as well as shopping streets and a traditional textile souk. From the creek you can take an large wooden restaurant boat or a small abra (water taxi) to Deira on the other side. Al Bastakiya historic area is situated just to the East of Dubai Museum. The area has been famous for its old buildings with courtyards and wind towers. Click here to go directly to Bastakiya. Shindagha, just to the North of Bur Dubai next to Dubai Creek, is also a historic part of Dubai, here you can find the historic Heritage Village and the historic ruler's house. Click here to visit Al Shindagha.

Bur Dubai is mostly a residential area with not so many hotels, and it feels less touristy then the modern parts of Dubai. A large number of inhabitans are from Indian, and the atmosphere is much more gritty with the souks, old houses, small traditional shops called "trading companies" and old boats, so it feels more then India then the Dubai most westeners got the picture of, but the truth is that this is the real Dubai!

We visited Bur Dubai on a Friday. Friday and Thursday are the weekly holidays, like Sunday in the western hemisphere, so many stores were closed during day, but opened later in the evening, but the souk was open all the time.


You can red more about it on the link below:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Dubai_Burdubai.html






Al Bastakiya







You can watch tons of pics from the Bur Dubai area on the link below:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Dubai_Burdubai.html
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