Dubai

Each region of this emirate has its own characteristics. Walk along the streets of the old city or immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of “new Dubai” - here you will like everything.

Jumeirah

An expensive area of ​​elite mansions. The cozy Jumeirah Beach Park with well-kept gardens is open from 8.00 to 22.30 (on Mondays, entry is only for children under 12 years old and women). Entrance fee is 5 drh per person and 20 drh from the car. Al Safa Park is also located in the area. The history of the park begins back in 1975, the area is 64 hectares. Throughout the territory there are channels through which bridges are thrown. The park is open from 8.00 to 22.30, entrance - 5 drh.

In this area are the Jumeirah Mosque, the unique Wild Wadi Water Park, the yacht club and the man-made island of The Palm Jumeirah. Here are located the most fashionable hotels in the Emirates - Jumeirah Beach, Mina A'Salam and Al Qasr. In the educational SEZ Knowledge Village there are branches of many international universities. In the Jumeirah Zoo, you can see rare animals: an Arabian wolf, a Thomson cat and Bakotrid cormorants.

However, if your stay in Dubai is limited to one or two days, the first thing to do is inspect the old part of the city, which the bay divides into two areas - Deira and Bar Dubai.

Deira

One of Deira's oldest neighborhoods is called Al-Dagayah. Here are the old Gold Market (Gold Souk), a bus station, a seafood market (Fish Market) and two Shindaga tunnels - a car and a pedestrian.

It is unlikely that you will pass by Baniyas Square (aka Nasser Square) - the commercial heart of Dubai. It is here where shop tourists from the CIS mainly shop.

Rigga Street is a two-kilometer boulevard that starts near the Al Ghurair shopping center, runs parallel to the bay and ends with a mosque not far from the famous Clock Tower. There are many fashionable boutiques, cafes and eateries, the tables of which are exposed directly to the sidewalk in cool weather. Here, you can get acquainted with any cuisine - Arabic (Al Safadi), Filipino (Golden Fork), Russian ("Fantasy"), Lebanese, American and many others.

In addition, there are several stores in Rigga selling Persian sweets, Arabian clothes and perfumes. These establishments close quite late, around midnight.

Deira ends with a park on the Mamzar Peninsula. Overlooking the skyscrapers of the Emirate of Sharjah, it offers visitors swings, slides, a train ride, bike rental, a cafe (until 8.30 p.m.), sea bays, clean beaches, many barbecue areas, a heated pool and chalet houses. On Fridays, Indian and Arab families go out for a picnic here with tents, hookahs and musical instruments. In addition to them, tourists and representatives of the Russian Diaspora of Dubai "hang out" making appointments on the forum site www.chatru.com.

Bar Dubai

You can get here from Deira using abra boats, as well as buses and taxis crossing the bay along three bridges and through the Shindaga tunnel. (For details, see the section "Transport").

To the left of the Al-Maktoum Bridge is the Creek Park, which is distinguished by a wide variety of flora: 280 species of plants, including giant cacti, grow on 96 hectares. Open from 8.00 to 23.00. Entrance 5 drh.

The park has a children's town, places for barbecue, fishing and rollerblading, as well as a restaurant chain Malik Burger. Bicycle rental is available. The cable car (open until 21.30) offers breathtaking views of the bay and the city. The closest entrance to the cable car is located near Health Care City, in the Ud Metha quarter, famous for the Holy Trinity Church, where Orthodox services are held.

If you came to Dubai for shopping, take a look at Karama - a colorful Indian quarter where you can cheaply buy “copies” of products from Rolex, Gucci, Christian Dior, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton, which are almost indistinguishable from the originals. However, if in addition you want to see the sights, your path lies on the old bazaar, reminiscent of the Golden Market in Deira - and, of course, in the Shindag area.

Here, in a small area, the most well-preserved old buildings are concentrated. In just two to three hours, you can explore the Pearl Catcher Village, the Heritage Village, the home of Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum and the Shindag watchtower. Be sure to visit the nearby Divan (Office of the Ruler of Dubai), the Grand Mosque and the Dubai Museum.

Bastakia

This historic Bar Dubai is located between the city museum at Al Fahidi Fort, Bay Promenade and Musalla Street. Most of the local buildings were built in the late XIX - early XX century. Now the whole quarter is declared a historical monument. In order to imagine what the city looked like in the past, it is worth wandering along its narrow streets. Well-off merchants from Persia settled here; its name itself comes from the Persian province of Bastak. In this prestigious quarter, houses were built and representatives of noble families of the emirate close to the ruler. Now Bastakia is actively being restored (57 houses have been preserved), and soon it will turn into a tourist Mecca, where cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and art galleries will be located.

Grand Mosque

Its tallest in Dubai (70 m) minaret is visible to all who swim to the Old Bar-Dubai Market by abra boat. The mosque is decorated with nine large and forty-five small domes. 1200 people can pray in it at the same time. The modern building was erected at the end of the twentieth century on the site of the old one, built in 1900. This mosque, with its largest Gulf glass stained glass windows, is an important center of Dubai's cultural and religious life.

The entrance to it is open only to Muslims.

 

Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House

Located in Bar Dubai, on the Shindaga Embankment. This is a typical adobe square building typical of local architecture. It was built in 1896 by the ancestors of the current ruler of Dubai. The house has 30 rooms: according to the Arab tradition, several generations of the Maktum clan lived here under one roof.

A permanent exhibition of photographs from the mid-twentieth century tells the story of the transformation of Dubai into a modern city. Connoisseurs of black-and-white photographs will truly enjoy viewing the portraits of Bedouins and group photos of clans against the backdrop of their fortified fortified houses. Collectors will be pleased with the selection of old stamps, bonos and coins, including Indian rupees that went to Dubai during the time of the English protectorate.

Opening hours: Saturday-Thursday - daily from 08.0020.30, on Fridays 15.30-21.30

Diving Village

The village of fishermen and pearl hunters is located in Bar Dubai, in the Shindaga quarter, near the entrance to the tunnel. The current exhibition tells about the life of the first settlers of nomadic tribes, the history of the emergence of trade relations by sea, fishing and pearl mining. There is a scuba diving club in the Village.

Open daily from 8.00 to 22.00. On Friday it works from 8.00 to 11.00 and from 16.00 to 22.00. Tel for information (04) 393 7151. Admission is free.

 

Jumeirah Mosque

This mosque, depicted on a bill of 500 dirhams, is one of the most famous, large and beautiful in Dubai and the only one in the city, open to tourists who are not professing Islam. It is located at the entrance from Bar Dubai to Jumeirah 1, near the Dubai Diving Center. Hourly excursions are organized on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Children are allowed to enter from 5 years old. Ladies should wear long skirts or trousers, the top should always be with long sleeves, a scarf or scarf should be thrown over the head. The mosque will tell you about the architectural traditions and features of such buildings, the main canons of Islam and the history of the Arab caliphates.

Entrance is paid - 10 drx.

Tel for inquiries (04) 353 6666

Dubai Museum

It is easy to find in Bar Dubai, between Bastakia and the Grand Mosque. Fort Al Fahidi, built in 1778 to protect against attacks from the sea, houses two museums - the historical and the military. Before reconstruction in 1971, barracks, a palace and a prison were based in this fort. The museum’s exposition presents in the ground and underground halls the life of the Arab caliphate during the time of the Bedouin tribes and the slave system, household items, artisans and rare finds made of metal and clay, which are 4000 years old. The museum, located behind the Grand Mosque, between Bastakia and the Old Bar-Dubai Market, is open from 8.30 to 19.30 (on Fridays - from 14.00 to 19.30). It includes the courtyard of the old fort and an underground exhibition, the characters of which will allow you to plunge into the atmosphere of old Dubai with all its colors, smells and sounds.

For information phone (04) 353 1862


New Gold Souk

It is located on Al Mina Street (leading from Bar Dubai to Jumeirah) opposite the customs of the port named after Sheikh Rashid. The assortment of goods is characterized by a complete mixture of styles, trends and cultures. So, in the Fenoomen store alone you can find jewelry from leading European companies in Austria, Belgium, Holland and Spain, including Swarovsky products. Many stores are richly presented with jewelry in yellow, red and white gold, pearls, black and yellow diamonds.

The center provides a free shuttle from the hotel and a two-story car park. For ladies there are two beauty salons: Daksha's with all kinds of massages, a sauna and mineral baths and Top Ten, where you can go through any cosmetic procedures, do manicures and pedicures.

Ethnographic Village (Heritage Village)

It is located on the Shindag embankment, near the house of Sheikh Saeed and the Divers Village. The village is a walled space, where samples of traditional houses are exposed in the open air. In particular, there is a Bedouin summer house made of trunks and branches of a date palm.

In the village you can buy souvenirs, try traditional flat cakes, visit artisan shops, put henna patterns on your arms and legs, look at the performance of a traditional dance and take pictures in Arabic clothes. There is also a small museum where archaeological finds are exhibited; outside the walls of the village there is a playground where you can ride a camel.

Mushrif Park

The largest park in Dubai is 12 km from the city center, behind Dubai International Airport. The park is popular among both tourists and locals, an ideal place to escape from the bustle of the city. On the green territory of the park, an area of ​​124 hectares, various types of trees of shrubs and flowers growing in all the Emirates are collected. According to the latest data, the park has more than 30,000 trees and shrubs. In addition to the open spaces of the park are artificial lakes, fountains, alpine slides, pools and playgrounds. Here you can also ride a train that will travel throughout the park, ride a pony and a camel.

The main attraction of Mushrif Park is the International Village. It represents 13 models of houses of different countries and cultures. There is a Danish mill, an Indian wigwam, an English house, a Thai pagoda, an African hut, houses representing the culture of China and Japan, Norway and Indonesia, and of course the United Arab Emirates themselves.

Entrance to the park at a price of 5 drh per person and 30 drh from the car; Entrance to the pool - 5 drh for children and 10 drh for adults.

Opening hours: daily from 08.00-22.00, on Wednesdays - Women's Day.

Dubai Zoo

The oldest zoo not only in the UAE, but also on the Arabian Peninsula. The history of the zoo began with a private collection of exotic animals located in a large garden. In 1971, it was transferred by the owner to the municipality. Now the zoo covers an area of ​​about 2 hectares in the very center of the city in the elite area of ​​Jumeirah. Despite its modest size, the zoo provides shelter for approximately 1,500 animals and birds, including Syrian bears, chimpanzees, African lions and giraffes, Bengal tigers, gazelles, flamingos and snakes.

Entrance to the zoo - 2 drh, Tuesday - day off.

For information: (04) 344 0462

Flamingo Nature Reserve at Ras Al Khor

The reserve in the town of Ras Al Khor together with the surrounding buffer zone covers an area of ​​just over 6 square meters. km This is the only protected water reserve in the country since 1971, on whose territory there are 47 species of plants and 266 species of animals. It is a fragile ecosystem in which reed and mangroves, shrubs, lagoons and swamps are represented. This contributes to the biological diversity of the reserve, in which a large number of birds (including migratory), crustaceans, small mammals and fish are found.
Tourists come here to enjoy the wildlife and the main inhabitants of the reserve and its talisman - beautiful pink flamingos, the number of which reaches 500 individuals. Entrance to the reserve is free of charge by prior registration.

For more information, please call the Dubai Municipality: 04 606 6822/606 6826


Wonder Bus

This "miracle" bus travels both by land and by water. The air-conditioned bus has 44 comfortable seats for passengers and a TV with a wide LCD screen. On a fascinating tour, you will drive through the most interesting Dubai sights, and then plunge into the sea surface of the Dubai Creek. Professional guides will tell you reliable facts from the history of Dubai. The duration of the tour is two hours twice a day. The tour starts from the Bur Juman shopping center.

Price of the trip: for children from 3-12 years old - 75 drx (US $ 20), for adults - 115 drx (US $ 31).

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