Unspecified/General

In the historic Al Shindagha neighbourhood at the mouth of Dubai Creek immediately north of the Al Fahidi Historical District, the Al Shindagha Museum is the largest and most comprehensive museum dedicated to the cultural history of Dubai and the broader United Arab Emirates. The dramatic museum complex opened in phases beginning in June 2019, occupying some 23 individually restored late-nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century coral-stone houses arranged along a network of small streets and courtyards spanning approximately 10 acres of preserved historic urban fabric. The museum complex preserves the historic Al Shindagha neighbourhood, which served as the principal residential quarter of the ruling Al Maktoum family throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The most architecturally distinguished single building is the historic Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House (Sheikh Saeed was the ruler of Dubai from 1912 through 1958, and the great-grandfather of the present ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum), which served as the family residence from 1896 through 1958. The house was meticulously restored in 1986 and reopened in 1987 as the original Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House Museum, which has since been incorporated into the broader Al Shindagha Museum complex. The museum is organised around six principal thematic galleries arranged across the various restored historic buildings. The opening gallery covers the broader pre-oil history of Dubai, with extensive exhibits covering the original Bedouin nomadic culture, the early pearling industry and the gradual establishment of Dubai as a small trading port in the late nineteenth century. The second gallery covers the celebrated Perfume House (occupying a dedicated restored building) with extensive exhibits covering the celebrated traditional Arabian perfumery culture and the production of incense, attars and ouds. The Spice House (another dedicated restored building) covers the historic spice trade through the Dubai Creek port, with extensive interactive exhibits and small sample displays. The Children's Museum (in a further restored building) provides hands-on interactive exhibits specifically designed for younger visitors. The Pearling Past Gallery covers the celebrated pre-oil pearling industry that was the principal economic activity of the broader Dubai region from the late seventeenth through the early twentieth centuries. The complex also includes several traditional restaurants, small artisan workshops and a substantial museum shop selling traditional Emirati handicrafts. Tickets are sold by combined entry, with discounted online pricing for advance booking.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Al Shindagha Historical Neighbourhood, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Telephone: 04-515-5358

Website: alshindagha.dubaiculture.gov.ae

Opening Date: 01/06/2019