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Dubai City
Having expanded along both banks of the Creek, Dubai's central
business district is divided into two parts - Deira on the
northern side and Bur Dubai to the south - connected by a tunnel
and two bridges. Each has its share of fine mosques and busy
souks, of public buildings, shopping malls, hotels, office
towers, banks, hospitals, schools, apartments and villas.
Outside this core, the city extends to the neighboring emirate
of Sharjah to the north, while extending south and west in a
long ribbon of development alongside the Gulf, through the
districts of Satwa, Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim.
At first glance, the city presents a predominantly modern face, an ever-changing skyline of new developments, from striking glass and concrete towers to gracious modern buildings incorporating traditional Arabian architectural motifs and features.
The Creek
The Creek, a natural seawater inlet that cuts through the center of the city, is the historic focal point of life in Dubai. A stroll along its banks evokes the city's centuries-old trading traditions.
Visitors will be captivated by the color and bustle of the loading and unloading of dhows, which still ply ancient trade routes to places as distant as India and East Africa.
An attractive way to view the Creek and the dhows is from an abra, one of the small water taxis, which zigzag the Creek from the souks of Deira to those on the Bur Dubai side. Boatmen will also take visitors on a fascinating hour-long trip from the abra embarkation points to the mouth of the Creek and inland to the Maktoum Bridge, passing on the way many of the city's historic and modern landmarks.
On the Bur Dubai side between Maktoum and Garhoud bridges, Creek side Park provides pleasant paved walks and extensive landscaped public gardens.
At the inland end of the Creek is a large, shallow lagoon, now a wildlife sanctuary which has become a haven for migrating shore birds. Some 27,000 birds have been counted here at one time during the autumn migration. The most spectacular are the many Greater Flamingos, which have made the Creek their permanent home.
Jumeirah Mosque
The city has many fine mosques. One of the largest, most beautiful and most admired is Jumeirah Mosque, which is a spectacular example of modern Islamic architecture. Built of stone in medieval Fatimid tradition, the mosque with its twin minarets and majestic dome is a city landmark. It is particularly attractive at night when subtle lighting throws its artistry into relief.
Grand Mosque
Situated on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek near the Ruler's Court, Grand Mosque was re-built in 1998 and now has, at 70 meters, the city's tallest minaret. It has 45 small domes in addition to nine large ones boasting stained glass panels, making it a notable landmark and an important place of worship.
Bait Al Wakeel
Bait Al Wakeel, the first office building of Dubai, was built by the late Sheikh Rashid in 1934. At the edge of the Creek near the abra landing, the building has been completely restored and now houses a museum devoted to Dubai's fishing and marine traditions.
The Souks
The souks on both sides of the Creek are attractive not just for their shopping bargains but also as places for the sightseer and photographer.
In the tiny lanes of the spice souk, the atmosphere and the scents of the past can be savored. Bags of spices, incense, rose petals and traditional medicinal products are stacked outside each stall.
Along the slightly larger lanes of the gold souk, each shop window is crammed with gold necklaces, rings, bangles, earrings and brooches. In the evening the area is a hive of activity. Gold prices are among the lowest in the world.
In other small streets, the visitor can find shops selling nargilehs (hookah or
hubble-bubble pipes) and coffee pots, and nearby tea stalls where both of these items are in daily use.
There are traditional bakeries where large flat loaves of delicious unleavened bread are baked. Small textile shops sell veils with decorated edges, pantaloons with embroidered anklets, and dress lengths with similarly embroidered necklines reminiscent of The Arabian Nights. On the Bur Dubai side of the Creek are lanes full of textile shops, where a blaze of colorful raw silks and cottons hang in profusion in shop windows.
Dubai World Trade Center
Rising 39 floors above the city, the Dubai World Trade Center's office tower houses the regional headquarters of many of the world's largest corporations.
Alongside, a modern conference center and seven exhibition halls host an active programme of international trade fairs that attract exhibitors and visitors from all over the world.
Visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the tower's viewing deck, a favorite of photographers.
Al Boom Tourist Village
Neighboring to Creekside Park, the village consists of a 2,000-seat banquet hall, a coffee shop, restaurant, amusement park, ornamental lake and a marina with five cruise boats. Its traditional architecture forms a stately city landmark. Further development will include self-catering and fully-serviced chalets and a five-star hotel built in the shape of a Gulf sailing dhow.
Dubai Zoo
The Dubai Zoo, which is located in Jumeirah, is a popular attraction, especially for families. The zoo's modern facilities though small, house many indigenous Arabian species, including the Arabian Wolf, which is no longer found in the wild, Gordon's Wildcat and the world's only captive breeding colony of Socotra Cormorants.
Featured in its large aviary are regional birds of prey. Nine species of large cats and seven species of primates are on show, along with many Arabian mammals. The zoo is shortly to undergo relocation and redevelopment allowing animals to live in areas designed to be as similar to their natural environment as possible.
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