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Dubai National Museum
Dubai National Museum was established and officially inaugurated in 1971. The Museum is located in Al Fahidi Fort, which is one of the most ancient historical Buildings in Dubai (built: 1787). It was built as a fort for sea defense.
The Museum contains a collection of artifacts which depict the different aspects of Social, economic and Professional life which prevailed during the past century and the start of the present century. It also contains many archaeological objects such as pottery, stone and metallic items, stone engravings, and skeletons, which were discovered during the archaeological explorations executed in the different areas of the Emirate of Dubai. They date back to the third, second, and first millennium BC as well as the Islamic era (Seventh - 13th Century).
At the Museum's entrance, the visitor can browse through a collection of old maps of the Gulf and the Emirates, together with aerial photographs showing Dubai's considerable urban expansion between 1960 and 1980.
Inside, a treasure trove awaits. A large section is devoted to musical instruments, with displays of drums, flutes, lyres, bagpipes made of goatskin and other locally-made instruments used in performances on festive occasions. On a less peaceful note, displays of deadly weaponry are enough to curdle the blood. The curved daggers known as hanjars are much in evidence, and the display also includes swords, spears, bows and arrows, shields made of sharkskin, pistols and axes. A model of a wind-tower room is an interesting feature of the architecture section, with diagrams and photographs showing different types of wind-towers from the older areas of Dubai city.
Sheikh Saeed's House
It was the official residence of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai (1912-1958). It is on the Shindagha end of Dubai Creek. A rare collection of historic photographs, coins, stamps and documents can be seen here.
The Bastakiya
The old district of Bastakiya provides a hint of old Dubai with its narrow lanes and tall wind towers. A short walk from Al Fahidi Fort, it is he largest concentration of traditional courtyard houses in Dubai.
Hatta Heritage Village
It is a fine example of village architecture four hundred years ago. Situated among the Hajjar Mountains and overlooking a fertile oasis, it consists of a mosque, a fort, two watchtowers and some twenty houses built of mud, stone, reeds and palm tree trunks.
Burj Nahar
It was one of the watchtowers that once guarded the old city. It was built in 1870.
Bur Dubai Creek side
The Buildings lining the Bur Dubai side of the creek provided the main panorama of the old city. The traditional facades of these buildings have been restored to their original state, with wooden windows, decorative gypsum panels and screens.
Archaeological sites
There are four main excavation sites in Dubai, at Al Qusais, Al Sufooh, Jumeirah, and Hatta. The first two are graveyards dating back more than 2000 years. The Jumeirah site reveals artifacts from the 7th to 15th centuries AD.
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