By accident, I reached the Dubai Heritage Village on a
January night, waiting for the Dubai Shopping Festival fireworks.
It was a very charming place, taking the visitor back at a
time when Dubai was not yet the tourist and shopping destination that it is
today. The compound vividly shows the traditional life of Dubai locals just a few decades ago. Once inside,
it is very easy to forget the modern trappings of Dubai life, and enjoy the other side of this
emirate-----one that is strongly traditional, values hard work, and
closely-knit.
As I entered the main gate facing the Al Khaleej road and
Shindagha tunnel, I was greeted by the loud sound of a speaker. Behind a hut
where a mix of expatriates and locals were enjoying traditional food was a
stage where children were playing trip to Jerusalem. Only, the music and the
language of the host were Arabic, not the one like me is used to when I come to
a friend’s party, and it adds a lot to the charm. In front of them were
families and friends casually chatting
while watching the show. With the smiles and the body language of those around,
it is obvious that this is not the place to discuss business deals and work.
To my right were small houses and shops. I saw a small crowd
and realized that it is where most of the food came from. People were patiently
waiting to be served Emarati sweets and pastries. And it smelled like the food
would be worth the wait. They are
getting it at very reasonable prices too.
Passing the crowd, there were shops selling various souvenir
items like post cards, canes, ref magnets beads, even electronic items with a
very distinct Emarati and nostalgic twist to them. But while commerce and trade
is a very important aspect of everyday life, it is not just about buying and
selling.
Even further down the pathway are replicas of barastis (traditional emarati
hut) meant to show how living in the old
days were like. Unlike the Barasti Bar further down in Jumeirah, here, one would catch a glimpse of the life of different men that
form fabric of the old culture, from
cotton traders to pearl divers. It is so different from what we have today, but
being born in the eighties, it is not so hard to understand how simple and
appealing that life could have been.
On the opposite side of the compound is a museum, complete
with pictures and artifacts of tools and furnitures used by men and women of
different walks of life. There are also maps that somehow give you an understanding
of how the geography and politics has shaped this part of the world and its
people. I am particularly drawn to the amount of details that can be seen in their
pottery and weaving.
There is something about the artifacts, the architecture, the atmosphere of the compound as a whole that seem to have a mesmerizing effect, slowly but surely endearing Dubai, the UAE and its people to the tourists and expatriates alike.
