NO, Dubai is not a concrete jungle. Yes, there are high-rise buildings that dot the city skyline giving the impression as if that is what the coastal beauty is all about. It is about that, and about the wonders of technology and a dazzling array of pricey cars too. But no region in the world can evade eye contact with history.

Dubai’s Al Bastakia Quarter is a place where one can have a sense of beginning, that is, where it all began. Al Bastakia is situated along the Dubai creek. It dates back to the late 19th century. It was the traders from Iran who set the whole place up, building small houses with carved doors and wind towers. In the 1890s, the Gulf was a different zone altogether, devoid of political wrangling.

Time passed by and things changed. As oil was chanced upon in the 1960s, development became the order of the day. So much so that the past was in danger of fading into oblivion. It is said that it was Prince Charles, during his visit to Dubai in 1989, who requested his local friends to conserve the area for posterity. It was a sound request. The quarter was restored. The rest is history.

The entire area was turned into a lovely sight, especially for tourists, to visit.

These days it bustles with art museums and cafes. And Dubai Museum, housed in Al Fahaidi Fort, which according to one account, is the oldest building in the city.

As you enter the fort, you immediately disassociate yourself from the razzle dazzle of the 21st century. There are wooden boats that were used for transporting people from one region to another. There are small houses called Al Kaimah and Al Arish — the former built of palm tree branches and the latter, a summer house, made of burlap pieces. Then next to them is the section where old exhibits are displayed. They range from a leather-wrapped wooden quiver with arrows to a chain mail coat with a decorated helmet. It is a scene right out of a Hollywood period drama.

As you go to the left, into the main section of the museum, it is then that you realise how old this part of the world is. According to one caption on an introductory board to an exhibition hall, “Archaeological excavations at Hatta, Al Qusais and Jumairah reveal there was a high degree of civilisation in the Dubai area around 3000BC. An Italian explorer in 1580 described Dubai as a prosperous community, its people engaged in pearl diving.”

Further up, the pearl diving is mentioned in detail, particularly in the first decade of the 20th century. After that you are introduced to the 20th century development with posters and video installations depicting the 1930s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Scenes have been recreated through true-to-life installations of people, animals, ships, souks etc.

One caption reads: “It was the Gulf’s destiny to choose Dubai as its bride, with the creek as its necklace.”

Archaeologists have been working in the region for more than five decades, discovering many startling things/objects. One of them is a burial grave discovered on Al Qusais site that goes as far back as the first millennium BC.

The Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Makhtoum Hall is a fine culminating point in the museum. It has beautifully kept artefacts, such as a variety of old pottery and different types of bronze daggers. And amidst all of that is a large restored jar with a handle and a wavy bend below it, a design from Jumeirah (9-10 century AD), signifying the aesthetics that have always been an integral, but seldom discussed, part of Dubai.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play