Interesting Facts about the Dubai Museum

If you are a resident who hasn’t gone exploring, use this time outdoors to visit the Dubai Museum and learn all you can about the origins of the city and the life of the people during a time when everything was covered by the desert.

History

The Dubai Museum is located inside the Al Fahidi Fort that was initially built in 1787 but was used by the Ruler as a home in 1896. It has served as a home, a garrison, a prison as well as a weapon depot for the monarch ruler during that time. In 1971, the Fort and its artefacts were preserved and converted into a museum by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Popular Location

The Dubai Museum is one of the city’s oldest museums Bur Dubai. The entire area around this landmark consists of traditional buildings with wind towers and courtyards that have been restored as per the original Arabic design. Besides this attraction, there are also Dubai’s souks and Dubai Creek.

Exhibits in the Museum

Perhaps the most popular exhibit in the entire museum is the portrayal of pearl diving and an assortment of collection items like weights, sieves and scales used by pearl merchants. Located in the Oasis Wing, several artefacts displayed are made from copper, mud and alabaster. Besides the tools used for early pearl trade, some artefacts are obtained from several grave excavations that showcase the simple life of the Arabs during that time.

Unique Displays and Galleries

Across the array of exhibits, some of the most notable ones are the collection of pottery and animal figures. There is a wing in the museum, called the Fortification Wing, just dedicated to ancient weapons including spears, curved daggers, shields and pistols. The Folklore Wing highlights the cultural items significant in that time while the galleries in the museum include Arab houses, the Souk, date farms and even videos showing the evolution of life and the culture in Dubai.