Historical Bastakiya in Dubai
Bastakiya is an area of Dubai on the Bur Dubai side of the Dubai Creek that dates from the 1890s, where residents originally earned money from pearl diving. Bastakiya is named after the Iranian town of Bastak - many of the original traders in Bastakia were from Iran.
In the 1990s, most residents in Bastakiya had their homes bought by the Dubai Goverment, and starting in the late 1990s the Historic Buildings Section of the Dubai Municipality began redeveloping the area with old historic buildings renovated (or rebuilt), along with a number of art galleries and cafes being opened up. There are also a couple of pleasant boutique hotels with small doorways for tall people to bump their heads on. The area is one of the few historic areas in Dubai, and is also an excellent place to walk around for those interested in art & culture.
The Bastakiya area is home to several well known buildings and organisations for example
- Al Fahidi Fort - the oldest building in Dubai, dating from the 1780s
- Bait Al Wakeel - the first office building in Dubai
- Dubai Museum - near the Al Fahidi Fort, and a highly recommended destination for tourists and residents to visit
- Majlis Gallery
- Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
- XVA Art Gallery
Many of the buildings in Bastakiya are topped with wind towers - a cooling tower that pre-dates the arrival of airconditioning, and is surprisingly effective in the summer heat of Dubai.
President Bush Bastakiya visit
President Bush came to Dubai in January 2008 and Sheikh Mohammed showed him around - residents of Dubai were given a holiday and major roads were closed (including the Sheikh Zayed Road), making the place look like some sort of post-apocalyptic deserted city. During the visit, Mr Bush had a look around the Bastakiya area (on Monday 14 January 2008) and stopped for a spot of lunch at the Shaikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding, with Sheikh Mohammed and other dignitaries. Access to the whole Bastikya area was restricted that day, and Bastakiya residents were instructed to stay indoors - even those standing on balconies were told to go back inside. Mr Bush was not reported to have said "Nice place, but why doesn't anyone live here?"
This information last updated Sunday 08-Jun-2008
Related pages - Internal Links
- Dubai - FAQ home and index
- Art Galleries in Dubai - a selection of art galleries worth visiting
- Bastikia - forum topic, have you visited the area? Add your comments, let others know what you thought.
- Historic Dubai
- Tourist guide to Dubai - a brief introduction with a few suggestions for places to visit
- Contact us if you ... Have seen an error? Can't find something? Have a suggestion?
Related websites - External Links (open in new window)
- www.dubaihistoric.ae - Dubai Municipality website with details of restoration projects and a list of historic buildings in Bastakiya (and elsewhere in the emirate) that have been restored. Look under the Museums or Project headings for more details.
- Contact us to add a link to your website
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