With Friends in UAE - Dubai, Monday and Tuesday, 2000 April 24 and 25

---

My last two days in Dubai were spent on friendly conversation, good meals, and walks on the local streets. On Monday, to my surprise, we went to watch John play hockey. Dubai had an indoor winter arena with rinks and a facility with a short ski hill! Perhaps this could be considered the the hot-climate equivalent of heated swimming pools in cold climates.

On Tuesday we visited the Bastakiya , the old town where historically merchants lived. The fine towers and houses were being carefully restored as an outdoor museum, encouraging visitors to use their imaginations. Not far away, we went to the Dubai Museum , which I had visited earlier by mistake. The walls and turrets from the original fort spoke to the security historically necessary to a trading nation. Although I didn't make any notes, I took lots of photos.

---

Photos

John playing centre
Good fun in the desert

Bur Dubai from Abra station in Deira
Bur Dubai is the traditional centre; Deira is the business centre. They are on opposite sides of The Creek, which is a salt-water inlet.

Abra station
Continuous ferry service

Bastakiya from Abra station
Bastakiya is a historic rebuilt neighbourhood.

Bastakiya
Elegant style

Bastakiya
Reconstruction underway

Bastakiya
Catch every breeze

Bastakiya
Work in progress

Flowing Bougainvillea
Bastakiya

Traditional door
Bastakiya

Traditional balcony
Bastakiya

Stonework detail
Bastakiya

Sheik's mosque
Fine detail in stone

Dubai Museum - turret of defensive fort
Minaret of the Sheik's Mosque in background

Comments

[Isabel Gibson]

Architectural details
In my opinion, we could do worse than to integrate some of the decorative detail on these buildings into our own public-space architecture. I especially like the curves that merge into a single point - if there's a name for that shape, I don't know it. :-)

[beentouring]

Curvature in Architecture
... is graceful and soothing.