Dubai for Visitors » History of Dubai

Ramadhan: The Muslim Holy Month

rajajang — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:08:14 +0000

I’ve noticed that in the Western World, there’s a lot of confusion about Islam & its traditions. So I wanted to share my experience, understanding & perception of Ramadhan with you here: In 2007, Ramadhan will take place from approx. Sept. 13th until Oct. 12th. For over 1 billion Muslims throughout the world, Ramadhan is the 9th lunar month in the Islamic calendar. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. It was the month in which the 1st verses of the holy Qur’an were revealed to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH = Peace be upon Him). It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God and self-control: — Restraining the stomach from food & drink & the “private parts” from temptation. — Restraining other body parts: the tongue must avoid bad-mouthing, insult & lies; the eyes should avoid looking into things considered as unlawful or haram; the ears must stop from listening to conversation or songs that spoil the spirit of fasting. — Restraining of the heart & mind from indulging themselves in other things besides Allah. There are also clear rules about who is exempt from fasting: Children (before reaching puberty) & Pregnant & nursing women. Women having their menstrual period, Travelling people, People performing hard, physical labour (especially outdoors) Sick people (diabetics, flu, etc.) Elderly people, People on medication or who have a disability (physical or mental) Muslims who were unable to fast may redeem their fast after Ramadhan has finished. IFTAAR is to “break the fast” = breakfast. This is done when the sunset prayer “maghreb” is heard. After breaking the fast (recommended are fresh dates & water or camel milk or Laban (drink yoghurt), they perform “vudoo” (=ritual washing before prayer), then pray and may then eat & drink a full meal. Before the sunrise prayer “sohur”, Muslims rise early from their beds to have a hearty meal before the day of fast begins.

You will notice that many people gather in typical Ramadhan tents, either as part of hotel restaurants, or they will set-up a tent in front of their residence. They sit together for many hours, spend time with the family & discuss matters of life. The sighting of the new moon at the end of Ramadhan proclaims the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. (2-3 days public holiday). Gifts are exchanged during Eid, especially for children (new clothes, school items, sweets, etc.) This is also the time that Muslim women usually visit beauty salons to have their hands & feet painted with “Hennah”. Sometimes I go together with my mother (she is Muslim). TIP: To wish someone a happy Ramadhan, say Ramadhan Kareem. The greeting during Eid is: Eid Mubarak. Expatriates & visitors alike also enjoy traditional Ramadhan evenings, sitting on large pillow, gathering for “Sheesha” & Arabic specialities (hommous, falafel, etc).

A Short History of Dubai

rajajang — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:45:50 +0000

Dubai, a world business hub, is one of the seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a union of seven Sovereign Sheikhdoms (emirates) - six of which, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman - formed the present federation in 1971 when the British withdrew from the Gulf as part of the ‘East of Suez’ policy. Ras Al Khaimah joined a year later. Although little is known about the ancient history of this area, archaeological finds suggest that humans have been living here since at least 3000 BC. Other evidence links the peoples of what are now the UAE and Oman to the mysterious Bronze Age Magan civilization. Magan ships sailed to Babylonia, Mesopotamia and beyond, trading copper from Oman and pearls from the mouth of Dubai Creek with the heavyweights of the Bronze Age economy. The Magan civilization waned around 2000 BC, but Dubai’s instinct for trade remained. Excavations at Jumeira, about 10km south of Dubai, recently unearthed a 6th-century AD caravan station, proving that the area’s population was still keeping the trade routes well oiled. Around this same time, the Sassanids, a Persian dynasty who had inhabited the mouth of Dubai Creek since 224 AD, were driven out by the Umayyads, who came to stay and brought Islam with them. Exploiting their prime location between the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean, the new inhabitants, working with the old, began reestablishing old trade routes and spreading the word of Allah, all the while making folks fantastic deals for the lowest everyday prices in the Gulf. As trade began to match pearl diving’s importance to the local economy, merchant dhows (ships) sailed as far as China, returning with silk and porcelain for Middle Eastern and European markets. This maritime madness reached its peak between 750 and 1258 AD. Soon everyone wanted a piece of the Gulf’s action. By the late 16th century the Portuguese were attempting to control local trade. Their success was limited, and they retreated when faced with French, Dutch and British attempts to take over the ancient trade routes. The British finally gained control of the region’s waterways in 1766. Dubai was caught between local power struggles and the Europe’s imperial dreams, but somehow turned this bad situation to its advantage, expanding its pearl trade through every channel. Dubai had grown gradually from a fishing village inhabited in the 18th century by members of the Bani Yas tribe. Its origins, however, go back into the far more distant past. Dubai Museum, situated at Al-Fahidi Fort, thought to be Dubai’s oldest building, displays a rich collection of objects found in graves of the first millennium BC at nearby Al-Qusais, while a caravan station of the sixth century AD was excavated in the expatriate suburb of Jumairah. By the turn of the 20th century Dubai was a sufficiently prosperous port to attract settlers from Iran, India and Baluchistan, while the souk on Deira side was thought to be the largest on the coast, with some 350 shops. The facilities for trade and free enterprise were enough to make Dubai a natural haven for merchants who left Lingah, on the Persian coast, after the introduction of high customs dues there in 1902. These people were mostly of distant Arab origin and Sunni, unlike most Persians, and naturally looked across to the Arab shore of the Gulf finally making their homes in Dubai. They continued to trade with Lingah, however, as do many of the dhows in Dubai Creek today, and they named their district Bastakiya, after the Bastak region in southern Persia. Meanwhile a flourishing Indian population had also settled in Dubai and was particularly active in the shops and alleys of the souk. The cosmopolitan atmosphere and air of tolerance began to attract other foreigners too: by the 1930s, nearly a quarter of the 20,000 population was foreign, including 2,000 Persians, 1,000 Baluchis, many Indians and substantial communities from Bahrain, Kuwait and the Hasa province in eastern South Arabia. Some years later the British also made it their center on the coast, establishing a political agency in 1954. The international trade which flowed from Dubai’s cosmopolitan contracts was the basis of rapidly increasing prosperity. This gave the city an early start in development before the beginning of oil production in the late 1960s. Like the other towns along the coast, Dubai had been severely affected by the decline of the pearling industry, due to competition in the 1930s from Japanese cultured pearls, and by the drop in trade in the Second World War. But Dubai contacts and mercantile skills increased resilience and the ability to profit from favorable conditions for entrepot trade with Persia and India after the 1939-45 war. The successful early development was due in large part to the foresight of Dubai’s rulers. During the 20th century, the city has benefited from the stabilizing influence of two exceptionally long rules: that of H H Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum from 1912 to 1958, followed by that of his son, H H Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed al-Maktoum. For many years prior to his father’s death in 1958, Sheikh Rashid has played a leading role in directing the state. Since then he has guided Dubai in its expansion from a small, old-world town to a modern state with excellent communication, and industrial infrastructure, and all the comforts of contemporary life. Since 1980 Sheikh Rashid has played a background role due to ill health but his four sons have continued his policies in exactly the same mould. The above-mentioned sheikhs and their late brother Sheikh Maktoum have honored their father’s memory by creating one of the world’s most impressive cities. They have done this by following the Al Maktoum tradition of encouraging businesses to invest in and operate from Dubai by offering incentives and establishing free trade zones, and by making Dubai one of the world’s premier tourist destinations. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who presided over the transformation of the small Middle East kingdom into a thriving modern state, died in Australia in 2006 at the age of 62. The present ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is committed to his father’s dream of making Dubai one of the foremost cities in the world, as are his brothers, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai; and Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police & Public Security Major General Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. While this development has been greatly facilitated by the discovery of oil and its production from the 1960s, oil revenues in Dubai have always been a fraction of those in Abu Dhabi, so Dubai’s growth has always depended partly on the inhabitant’s own entrepreneurial abilities. Dubai and its twin across the Dubai creek, Deira, became important ports of call for Western manufacturers. Most of the new city’s banking and financial centers were headquartered in the port area. Dubai maintained its importance as a trade route through the 1970s and 1980s. Today, Dubai is an important tourist destination and port (Jebel Ali, constructed in the 1970s, has the largest man-made harbor in the world), but also increasingly developing as a hub for service industries such as IT and finance, with the new Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Transport links are bolstered by its rapidly-expanding Emirates Airline, founded by the government in 1985 and still state-owned; based at Dubai International Airport, it carried over 24 million passengers in fiscal year 2005. The government has set up industry-specific free zones throughout the city. Dubai Internet City, now combined with Dubai Media City as part of TECOM (Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority) is one such enclave whose members include IT firms and media. Dubai Knowledge Village (KV),an education and training hub, is also set up to complement the Free Zone’s other two clusters, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, by providing the facilities to train the clusters’ future knowledge workers. Dubai has also launched Dubiotech. This is a new park to be targeted at Biotech companies working in pharma, medical fields, genetic research and even biodefense. The aim of this park is to foster the growth of this sector in Dubai and to utilize the region’s talent in addressing this rapidly growing sector. The government’s decision to diversify from a trade-based but oil-reliant economy to one that is service- and tourism-oriented has made real estate more valuable, resulting in the property boom from 2004. Construction on a large scale has turned Dubai into one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Today, world-class tennis tournaments, boat and horse races, desert rallies and one of the largest air shows in the world attract millions of visitors to the city. Other high-profile events, such as the Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises, bring hordes of tourists into town. Tourism matches trade and oil in importance to the emirate’s economy. The story of Dubai reads like a rags-to-riches tale, and indeed, it is hard to imagine anywhere else in the world a city that has developed at such a pace, in such a short time, for so many different people.

Historical Attractions in Dubai

rajajang — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:04:38 +0000

Dubai Creek

The Creek, a natural sea-water inlet which cuts through the centre 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 colour 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 criss-cross 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.

Redevelopment work has transformed parts of the Creek’s banks. On the Deira side, a broad and well-lit, paved promenade extends from the Corniche, which faces on the Arabian Gulf, all the way to the attractive purpose-built dhow terminal constructed beside Maktoum Bridge.

On the Bur Dubai side between Maktoum and Garhoud bridges, Creekside 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

Hatta

Situated 115km southeast of Dubai city in the foothills of the majestic Hajjar mountains, Hatta provides the visitor with a fascinating glimpse into Dubai’s historical past. The historic Hatta Fort overlooks the heritage village of Hatta which was opened to public in February 2001. The fort, built by Sheikh Maktoum bin Hashr Al Maktoum in 1896 to provide protection to the viceroy, displays old weaponry, knives, daggers, swords, guns and pistols. The village contains a number of other important houses and buildings with additional displays and models. The Hatta site consists of many historical buildings, traditional houses, a public restaurant and the international Hatta Fort Hotel. A perfect holiday resort!

Visiting Hours: Saturday- Thursday: 0800-2000 daily Friday: 1400-2000 Telephone: 04-8521374

Sheikh Saeed House

The official residence of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai (1912-1958) and grandfather of the present Ruler, Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has been restored to stand proud again on the Shindagha end of Dubai Creek. The house, which dates from 1896, today houses a rare Collection of historic photographs, coins, stamps and documents that record Dubai’s history.

Visiting Hours: Saturday- Thursday: 0800-2030 daily Friday: 1530-2130 Telephone: 04-3937139

Dubai Museum in Al Fahidi Fort

A Visit to the Dubai museum is a must on every Dubai itinerary. Housed within the beautifully restored Al Fahidi Fort, which was erected around 1799 to defend the city against invasion, the museum’s diverse collection of exhibits offers a fascinating insight into the rich history and cultural heritage.

Renovated in 1993 for use as museum, its colourful life size dioramas vividly depict everyday life in the days before the discovery of oil. Galleries recreate scenes from the Creek, traditional Arab houses, mosques, the souk, date farms and desert and marine life. One of the more spectacular exhibits portrays pearl diving, including sets of pearl merchants’ weights, scales and sieves. Also on display are artifacts from several excavations in the emirate, recovered from graves that date back to the third millennium B.C.

Visiting Hours: Saturday - Thursday: 0830-2030 daily Friday: 1430-2030 Telephone: 04-3531862

Heritage and Diving Villages

In the Shindagha area, along the creek, the Heritage and Diving Villages provide a rare glimpse of Dubai’s traditional culture and lifestyle. Exhibits focus on the emirate’s maritime past, pearl diving traditions and architecture. Several shops also sell handicrafts.

Visiting Hours: Saturday to Thursday: 08:00-22:00 daily Friday: 08:00-11:00 and 16:00-22:00 Telephone: 04-3937151

Bastakiya

The old Bastakiya district with its narrow lanes and tall wind-towers gives a tantalising glimpse of old Dubai. Immediately to the east of Al Fahidi Fort is the largest concentration of traditional courtyard houses with windtowers. In the past, the city was famous for a mass of windtowers which lined the Creek on either side. These were not merely decorative; they were the only means of cooling houses in the days before mains electricity.

Al Ahmadiya School

Established in 1912, Al Ahmadiya School was the first regular school in Dubai, located in the Al-Ras Area of Deira. In the early phase of its life, the subjects of Hadith-the prophet’s sayings, Tafseer-the Qu’ran explanation, and Islamic law was taught. Classes took place on mats made from palm-tree leaves. The two-storey building was renovated in 1995 for use as a museum of education.

Visiting Hours: Saturday-Thursday: 0800am-0730pm Friday: 0230pm-0730pm Free Entrance Telephone: 04-2260286

Bait Al Wakeel

Built in 1934 by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Bait al Wakeel was the first office Building in Dubai. At the edge of the Creek near the abra landing, the building’s restoration was Complete in 1995.

Bin Muzaina House

Located adjacent to the Al Ahmadiya School, the house has a large courtyard with a rectangular windtower. The oldest part of the house dates back to the 1890’s.

Visiting Hours: Saturday - Thursday; 0830-1330 and 1530-2000 Friday-1330-2000 Telephone: 04-3946343

Burj Nahar

One of the many watchtowers that once guarded the old city, built in 1870, the restored Burj Nahar in Its picturesque gardens in Deira is popular with photographers

Majlis Ghorfat Um-Al Sheif

Built around 1955 as a summer retreat for the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the majlis is Located in the Jumeirah area near the sea and features a traditional palm tree garden with a ‘falaj’ irrigation system.

Visiting Hours: Saturday-Thursday 0830-1330 and 1530-2000 Friday: 1330-2000 Telephone: 04-3946343