The Art Alleys of Dubai Bastakiya
The old quarters of Bastakiya on the Bur Dubai side of the Dubai Creek dates back to the 1890s. Bastakiya is named after the Iranian town of Bastak – many of the original traders here, mainly pearl traders were from Iran. The quarter is filled with traditional courtyard houses with wind-towers. These towers acted as cooling mechanisms for the houses in the sweltering UAE summers.
Today, these historic buildings houses MUSEUMS – the Coin Museum, Bait Al Wakeel which is the first office building in Dubai built in 1934 by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Sheikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU); GALLERIES – Majlis Gallery, Mawaheb from Beautiful People etc; RESTAURANT & CAFÉs – Basta Art Café, Orient Guest House, Local House Restaurant who very famously serve the Camel Meat Burger etc; SPICE & SOUVENIR SHOPS.
The Gallery
Other Details
Cost: Free if you do it on your own. Feel free to just hang around – this is one place which is unlike the rest of Dubai. [SMCCU also organises traditional UAE breakfast, lunch and Walking tours of Bastakiya on specific dates at a cost. You’ll get more information on the SMCCU website]
Opening Hours: While you can enjoy walking through the old wind-towered houses or cool down in the cafés and restaurants housed in these restored quarters on all days till late at night when the entire Bastakiya is lit up in subdued up-lifters, the museums and galleries are closed on Fridays.
