Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
4
About
A visit to the Bastakiya Quarter includes culturally significant sights, such as Dubai's oldest building (1780s), the Al Fahidi Fort, the Dubai Museum, and the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU).
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Neighborhood: Al Fahidi
How to get there
- Al Fahidi • 9 min walk
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Restaurants
3,322 within 3 miles
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248 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
977 reviews
Excellent
386
Very good
419
Average
136
Poor
27
Terrible
9
Sasha Marquez
102 contributions
Mar 2021 • Solo
I really don’t get negative reviews of this wonderful and enchanting place. Do people really lack self sufficiency and expect the rattle toy in their faces to sell this place. Stay home please if you don’t get the point of quietly joining the flow of life. It is a quaint place, very well preserved and meticulously maintained. Walk outside to see the original abode bedecked with rugs and pillows. The guys were very chill offering a little history of the place. Nobody is hassling you. One thing I respect about this place is its people - never pushy or in your face. They simply let you be. The quarters is also a place for artists on Emirati scholarships to come and make their art. They come from different parts of the world, get cute studios to work and appear to be very happy to share their art and experiences. Dubai’s unbridled imagination doesn’t come from cheap modern stimulation that some reviewers seem to be looking for.
Written March 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wilton L
London, UK581 contributions
Jan 2021 • Friends
I love this area, it evokes all that was charming about a bygone era, has a very nice hotel restaurant/cafe/gallery called XVA. I come here often for a detox from glass and high rise. Walking in between the low mud houses into the various alleys is a charm by itself, they’ve done a lovely job restoring this area.
Written January 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN5,762 contributions
Nov 2022
Interesting historic district of Dubai dating back to the 1890s. Also known as the Al Fahidi Neighborhood. Several small museums and cafes in the district. Nearby is the Al Fahidi Fort and Dubai Museum and Dubai Creek where you can take an Abra across the river to explore the Old Souk. Al Seef along Dubai Creek is also nearby and worth exploring.
Written July 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KevMac1960
Stanford-Le-Hope, UK1,206 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
This is a really nice area to take a stroll through although I think much of it is newer than it appears. Still that shouldn’t distract you from the nice old courtyards (particularly the philately museum) and shady areas. It’s just a short walk from (or to) the Dubai Museum
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zuv
Bucharest, Romania36,717 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
Basically, Bastakya and Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood are the same thing, although here they are all separate topics. A historic district in Dubai, where you can see traditional houses, with simple architecture and appearance. There are some small museums, souvenir shops, some nice cafes and that's about it. Also here is Al-Fahidi fort, which houses the Dubai Museum. But at this moment it cannot be visited. Nothing very impressive, but it's worth a visit to get an idea of how Dubai used to look.
Written December 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert O
Rotterdam, The Netherlands5,716 contributions
Jan 2023
The original name of what is now known as Al Fahidi, was Bastakia. It was founded by Farsi traders from Bastak (Iran) towards the end of the 19th century. It was just a very small settlement (some 60 houses) on a small space. Only narrow alleys separated the houses. In their drive to 'modernize" Dubai during the 1980s, half the neigborhood was demolished. The other half was destined to disappear as well, but 'rescued' last minute. Eventually after another initiative what was left of Bastakia got its present shape: a mix of reconstructed and restored places mainly geared to tourists.
Written February 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kimwillrule
Singapore, Singapore6,483 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
Bastakia Quarter, Dubai: BQ is where art or history lovers flock to. It’s a beautiful cobbled stone square where the gorgeous traditional motifs and stoic simple architecture stlll abound. Stones and palm trees all scream desert cool and the elegant canopies provide the aesthetic and the relief from the hot scorching sun. #eatstylishtravelstylishp
Written November 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NICHOLAS T
Dubai, United Arab Emirates9,692 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
This area offers a glimpse back to historic Dubai.
There are plenty of interesting cafes and shops to visit, together with street art and a camel and it’s baby.
It’s pleasant to simply wander around and take it in.
There are plenty of interesting cafes and shops to visit, together with street art and a camel and it’s baby.
It’s pleasant to simply wander around and take it in.
Written March 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
khali
Boston, MA468 contributions
I had the pleasure of visiting the Bastakia Quarters during Dubai’s ‘Creek Art Fair’. It was one of the places I read so much about and I always wanted to go. The Bastakia Quarters is a historical heritage site that was built in the 19th century as the home to wealthy Persian merchants. The merchants were pearls and textile traders that were attracted to tax free trading in Dubai and settled along Dubai Creek. Today Bastakia is a small area consist of beautiful sophisticated homes dated back to the 1900’s and were built of coral and limestone. The Bastakia has been declared a conservation area and the homes are being restored to their formal glory. I feel that is it the city’s most picturesque heritage site because of its distinct Arabian architecture of life from the early ancestor. Each home is beautifully decorated with it’s own inner courtyard, and wind towers. The wind towers was an early form of air conditioning from which wind was trapped in the tower and funneled down into the house. The origins of the wind towers were common in Iranian coastal houses and the name Bastakia was taken from the Iranian town of Bastak. My visit to Bastakia was a wonderful lesson of Dubai’s history, and culture. It was definitely a peaceful place to visit and within a short five minutes walk to Dubai’s Creek. The Bastakia is a great place for visitors to enjoy the historical site with its narrow passageways. And Bastakia is home to a small art community such as the Majlis Gallery, Ostra gallery, XVA gallery and Basta Art Café. In the area you will be very close to Dubai Museum, Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, and the BurJuman Centre mall. Also the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding is located in the Bastakia. Plan to book a tour with them to visit inside the Jumeirah Mosque in Jumierah 1. It is the only mosque in Dubai where visitors are allowed to go inside arranged with a tour guide. Also, there no entrance fee to visit the Bastakia site and visitors are free to walk in and out of the historical homes...and the rooftop!
Written March 15, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
unescotravelbug
Wooster, OH4,651 contributions
May 2013 • Friends
Most of the tourists come to Dubai eager to see the world highest tower Burj Khalifa, the only 7 stars rated hotel Burj Al Arab, the world biggest mall-Dubai Mall, the engineering's wander of Palm/ Jumeirah, The Atlantis Hotel and sun drenched beach resorts. Although these highly visible and recognizable local landmarks conglomerate the name of today's modern Dubai, the Bastakia area, on the other hand, is quietly tucked away in the corner of an area where culture and traditions are preserved. To access to the quarter from busy traffic intersections on 19th Street and the Al Faheidi Roundabout could present a challenge to the visitors since there is no designated pedestrian crossings nearby. Sign for this historical area is not clearly posted. We were looking for a cafe/tea after a visit to the nearby museum, We followed the cafe posted sign and after that we discovered we were in the Bastakia quarter! The traditional housing structures are very unique to those of the western standards. The yellow stucco buildings with wind towers were built for the wealthy textile/pearls traders from Bastak, Iran, hence the name. The numbers of wind tower represented the level of wealth. Wind tower(barajeel) functions like a wind tunnel that sucks the cold air in and lets the hot air out during the time when electric powered air-conditioner was not invented. The visit to the heritage culture center is free. The center courtyard and rooms of various functions built around it like a square box. The upper level balcony terrace and rooms are for guests, social and study. You can see Grand mosque and minarets just a short distance away. It's was a new moon day, the silhouette of a tiny quarter moon, the glowing mosque dome and minaret in a dark sky composed a serene nature beauty and a great backdrop for the photo shoots. Inside the quarter there are Bastakiah Nights Restaurant serves Arabian cuisine; a very artfully decorated hotel/cafe/gallery-XVA, a few historical buildings, labyrinth of small alleys, standing tall corner wind towers, dusty yellow structures, a site of city's only remained defense wall, locals dressed in their Arabic costumes, are unique characters representing this very quiet and old Dubai neighborhood. For those who wants to take a break from the sightseeing modern Dubai/ bathing on the sun drenched beaches, or those who love studying history and architecture, this place is like an unpolished precious gem for you to discover. For the amateurs this place presents an great opportunity to put your camera to work. To get here from Central Dubai district, take the metro green line to Al Fahidi station, take Khalid Bin Al Waleed exit and walk 15-20 min. toward the Creek,or hire the taxi from the metro stop.
Written July 10, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is this place where the trip advisor map appears or it is northern near al Riga?
Written July 26, 2018
Is there an admission/entrance fee for this and can I explore this alone without a tour guide/group?
Written February 28, 2018
No admission fee and no guide needed. If you want the atmospheric feel then go in the evening and eat at one of the cafes on the water front or take the Abra (water ferry) over to the Deidra side and eat there.
Written March 5, 2018
Hi Mercedes,
We plan to visit Dubai with the family. We have two girls (6 and 3 years old); Do you think that visiting Bastakia quarter is possible to do it with them ? thanks Mimie
Written March 2, 2015
Yes, there are lots of narrow alleys between the buildings, so don't let them wander off, but they will be safe as it is away from all traffic. There are lots of interesting things around every corner. And they should enjoy exploring the one traditional building that you can enter.
Written March 2, 2015
Which is the nearest Metro Station and how far is it from the hotel?
Written December 23, 2014
A Tripadvisor member
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Yes the nearest Metro Is actually Al Fahidi but as other have said Bur Juman is also close. It is about an hour and a half from your hotel if you are staying in Abu Dhabi.
Written December 24, 2014
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