Dubai Museum

Dubai’s oldest building
Word to the wise: One of the museum’s highlights is a recreation of the millennia-old Al Qusais tombs.

Given that most of the city was built in the last 30 years, it’s easy to dismiss Dubai as a land void of history. The Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787 and since converted into Dubai’s national museum, serves as a reminder that there’s been life in the region for millennia. In fact, the earliest artefacts at the museum—namely human remains and ancient spearheads—date back to 3,000BC.
In addition to displaying various relics and vintage photographs, the Dubai Museum also employs a bustling market soundtrack and life-sized figurines to depict the emirate’s early days. Dioramas of craftsmen and models of Bedouin tents and farms help to evoke a little of the traditions of the tribal groups that inhabited this part of the Arabic Peninsula over the centuries.