One of the most important historical monuments in Dubai, the Al Fahidi Fort situated at the heart of Dubai, houses the Dubai Museum. Built in 1787 to defend Dubai Creek against invasion, the Al Fahidi Fort was transformed into a renowned museum in the year 1970. The Fort is believed to be the oldest architectural masterpiece in Dubai. It has a history of its own. In various times, the Fort has served a variety of purposes. It has been used as the seat of the Government, the ruler’s residence, a store for ammunition and a jail. The museum was built with the aim of collecting the features of the Emirate’s traditional life.The Al Fahidi Fort, which is presently the site of Dubai Museum, was mainly built of coral and shell. The walls are built of these corals and shells cemented with lime. The ceiling is made up of palm leaf and branch, mud and plaster. Wooden poles, which are known as ‘handel’, support the upper floor. In the entrance, there is a massive iron door.The Dubai museum is one of the most attractive tourist places. It is a show house of the past cultural richness of Dubai. At the entrance, the tourists can encompass the old maps of the Gulf and the Emirates and the photographs that exhibit the urban expansion from the period of 1960 to 1980. There are the Arabian sailing boats, old weapons, pearl diving outfits and a range of military artifacts. Colorful, life size dioramas, sets of pearls, merchants’ weighing scales, and a variety of other things are exhibited for the tourists and general mass. The curved deadly daggers known as ‘hanjars’ along with spears, swords, bows and arrows are displayed in the museum; they give evidence of the bloodshed that once occurred in the Arabian Peninsula. There is an old complete grave from the Al Qusais archaeological site, which is more than 3,000 years old. Musical instruments like drums, flutes, lyres, and bagpipes made of goatskin are also a part of the exhibition. A variety of wind tower models are also displayed there. The museum also contains a multimedia interactive show that will take you to the past. It is one of the most interesting features that you will enjoy. A gift shop selling souvenirs of traditional Arab crafts is one more attraction for the visitors.The Dubai museum is a collection of artifacts that witness the social, economic and professional lives of the Arabs in the past centuries. With other interesting sights of Dubai, the museum too is a place that demands a visit. Another place of interest exhibiting an equally interesting collection of local boats can be seen at Narish Khyma, situated close to the Dubai Museum.
