A Brief history of Dubai

A trip to Dubai transports you on a journey through time. Although the early history of the area is not very well documented, archeological discoveries suggests that, as long as four thousand years ago, small fishing communities lived along the coast of the Arabian Gulf on the site of modern Dubai. It is also believed that the natural sheltered harbour afforded by the Dubai Creekwa a busy port of call on the ancient trade route between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. In recent years, archeologists have unearthedhundreds of artefacts, including pottery, weapons and coinage, that point to civilised settlements dating back to the third millennium B.C. These historic finds have been carefully preserved and are now permanently housed in the Archeolo- gical Section of Dubai Museum. Modern Dubai, however, traces its origins to the 1830’s. At that time, the small fishing village on the Shindagha peninsula at the mouth of the Creek was settled by a branch of the Bani Yas tribe, originally from the Liwa oasis to the south, led by the Maktoum family who still rule the emirates today. By the late 1870’s, Dubai was often referred to as the principal port on the Gulf coast and, by the turn of the century, was reputed to have had the largest souks in Arabia. Pearling which was the mainstay of the city’s prosperity for many years, succumbed to the development of the cultured pearl in the 1940’s. But Dubai’s enterprising merchants bounced back, developing a thriving trade in gold and other commodities. Much of this history is carefully preserved in myriad forts, mosques, palaces and other historic monu-ments, which are on the itineraries of many organized tours. Archaeological Sites There are four main excavation site in Dubai, at Al Qusais, Al Sufooh, Jumeirah and Hatta. The first two are graveyards dating back more than 2,000 years. The Jumeirah site reveals artifacts from the 7th to 15th centuries AD. These sites are not yet open to the public. However tourist or tour operators may obtain a special permit from Dubai Museum to visit the digs. Bur Dubai Creekside The buildings lining the Bur Dubai side of the Creek provided the main panorama of the old city. The traditional facades of these buildings have been restored to their original state, with wooden windows, decorative gypsum panels and screens.