The Dubai Heritage Village at Night

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.