دبيّ
(Dubayy - Dubai)
بر دبيّ
Old Bastakia Quarter, in Bur Dubai (west bank), is full of traditional courtyard houses and windtowers (Arabic: "barjeel")...
... as it was founded at the beginning of the 20th century by wealthy textile and pearl merchants from Bastak in southern Iran.
Now it's mainly a ghost-town that has been fully renovated for curious tourists to explore. Note the white Ali Bin Abi Taleb Mosque in the background.
The Dubai Museum occupies the Al-Fahidi Fort (19th century), one of Dubai's oldest buildings and the former seat of government.
Inside the Fort. The small boat in the front is called an "abra", and is still widely used for crossing Dubai Creek, thus linking Bur Dubai (west of town) to Deirah (east of town).
"Open your book page..."
The Grand Mosque has the tallest minaret in Dubai. But from 1pm to 4pm, it's home to sleepy Muslim Arabs and Pakistanis escaping the humid heat (it was 42°C in mid-May) to take a nap within its cooler walls.
Bur Dubai Souq. Lively after 5pm on, it sells all kinds of textile, Arabic "gutras" (or "kuffiyehs"), Yemeni and Omani "khanjars" (daggers) and, why not, stuffed toy camels.
One of the several shops (at naptime).
For only one dirham (about 30 cents) you can cross Dubai Creek from Bur Dubai Souq to Deirah Spice Souq.
Emirati supervising the "abra" boat station. Emiratis, which constitute about one fifth of the population in Dubai, traditionally wear the "dishdasha" (white long dress), the "gutra" (headcloth) and the "agal" (a black headrope used to hold the gutra in place).
Part of a dhow, the Gulf's most popular vessel.
Dubai as seen from the tip of northern Bur Dubai.
Dubai very much is the odd one out in a rather conservative region. Only here can you enjoy nightclubs, alcohol and wear shortpants freely, in sharp contrast with cities in the other Emirates, Oman, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.
The Grand Mosque and commuting "abras".
Bastakia Quarter by night and the funnily-shaped Ali Bin Abi Taleb Mosque.
ديره
Deirah, east bank, is where the main souqs (Spice Souq, Gold Souq, Perfume Souq, Covered Souq and Naif Souq) are, though shopping these days has more to do with the Jumeira and New Dubai gigantic shopping malls than the older old city souqs.
Creekside Road.
Dhows trading with Iran, Pakistan, India, Somalia and many more places have docked in Dubai since the 1830s, when the Al-Maktoum family declared Dubai a free trade port.
Modern bank buildings south of Deirah.
جميرا
Jumeira Mosque is the only mosque open to visitors in the whole UAE...
... and rules are very strict: it's open three times a day at 10am, and it's too bad for you if you're late for the (free) tour.
Burj Al-Arab (the Arab Tower) is the world's only (self-proclaimed) seven-stars hotel. It's higher than the Eiffel Tower and built on an artificial island almost 300m offshore. If you have 1,000 euros to spare, it's possible to sleep there.
Hopefully, it doesn't take much just to sit on the beach at Umm Al-Suqeim and enjoy the views... and the turquoise waters... and jellyfish!
Desert Safari
Camels, aka "the ship of the desert".
Red, craggy desert scenery about 70kms from Dubai.
Dune-bashing tour group. Many agencies in Dubai will try to sell you a one-hour 4WD Paris-Dakar-like expedition. It's actually great fun! I was in the car with four East Germans shouting "ay, neh" and "mashin kaput" anytime a sanddune was too steep for them.
More red crags.
Sunset over the UAE desert.
My last night in Dubai.