Wind tower houses in Al Bastakiya

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Sight Address : Wind tower houses in Al Bastakiya is located along the Dubai Creek.Edit

Detail InformationEdit

The Bastakiya district has been earmarked for tourist development, with the construction of a museum, cultural Center, and an art gallery that showcases local talent. The old Bastakiya district with its narrow lanes and tall wind-towers gives a tantalizing glimpse of old Dubai. Immediately to the east of Al Fahidi Fort is the largest concentration of traditional courtyard houses with wind towers. In the past, the city was famous for a mass of wind towers that lined the Creek on either side. These wind towers were not just decorative. They were the only means of cooling houses in the days before mains electricity. Bastakiya is a bustling market and cultural center of Dubai. The original, old city of Dubai is just one per cent of the modern city we see today. The district is filled with traditional courtyard houses and classic wind towers, which offer a charming glimpse of how Dubai once looked. The distinctive architectural feature of Bastakia is the wind tower (barjeel in Arabic). Apparently, every house in Bastakia has at least one. In the early days, the number of wind towers indicated the wealth of the owner. A symbol of UAE culture and heritage, the wind tower is not just ornamentation, but an early form of air conditioning. The open towers allow cool breezes to circulate around the inside while letting hot air to rise and escape.

Wind Tower Houses Al Bastakia, Dubai

HistoryEdit

Traditionally a stronghold of rich merchant residents, Bastakia dates back to the 1890s when it was settled by pearl and textile traders from the Bastak region of Iran. Today many of the traditional homes are open to the public. When you enter one and step into its interior courtyard, you can imagine the beauty and comfort that these well-to-do merchants created for themselves.

Must SeeEdit

Attraction

Visiting TimeEdit

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Best Season to VisitEdit

November to April

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning, Afternoon & Evening.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

1 to 3 Hours

Ticket Required : No Edit

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Kids : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult : N.A.

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Video Camera : N.A.

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Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

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Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Taxi is also easily available here, Most visitors will opt for public taxis from the airport, which are readily available just outside arrivals, which use the meter and start at AED 25. If you can’t find one otherwise, you can attempt to call a taxi at 04-2080808

Bus : The Government of Dubai operates a network of buses linking Dubai city with the capitals of the other six emirates of the UAE. The buses run under the name Emirates Express and operate from various bus terminals in Dubai. Buses operate every 40 minutes from 6.20am from both Dubai’s Al Ghubaibah bus station and Abu Dhabi’s main bus station. The two-hour journey cost AED 25. Frequent buses run between Dubai and Sharjah. There are several different routes and buses depart from various bus stations in Dubai including Al Karama, Gold Souq, Baniyas Square, Jebel Ali and Al Ittihad Square. Fares are at Dh7 .

Train : Dubai Metro is composed of at-grade elevated Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 (T1, T2 and T3, respectively) underground stations (U) and underground transfer station types (UT). Type 1 is the regular at-grade concourse station, Type 2 is a regular elevated concourse station, and Type 3 is an elevated special track station with an extra track to hold a non operational train. Underground transfer stations will be accommodating both the Red and Green lines for easy transfers. Besides these differences, there are four themes used in the interiors of the stations: earth, water, fire and air. Earth stations have a tan-brown colour effects; water has blue-white colour effects; fire has orange-red colour effects; and the air has green colour effects. Single tickets range from Dh2-8.50, or double that for use of the “Gold” first class carriage. Train run every 3-5 minutes from 5:50 AM to Midnight every day except Thursday and Friday, when services are extended to 5:50 AM to 1 AM and limited to 1 PM to Midnight, respectively. All stations are air-conditioned and there’s a large network of feeder buses.

Air : Dubai International Airport (DXB), which is located about 2.5 miles southeast of Dubai, links the emirate to over 200 world destinations by 100 airlines operating about 5,600 flights every week. Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport serves as a base for international flights while Terminal 3 exclusively caters for Emirates. Terminal 2 on the other hand, is mainly used by smaller airlines operating to Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. India can avail flight services from metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Besides Emirates, Jet Airways, Air India, Thai Airways and Indian Airlines are some of the major airlines serving travellers flying to Dubai from India. Most visitors will opt for public taxis from the airport, which are readily available just outside arrivals, which use the meter and start at Dhs 25. Taxis are on the left when you come out of terminal 1.
Airport telephone number: +971 (0) 4 224 5555

Others : By Boat : An easier way of crossing the Dubai Creek is by abra, essentially a small ferry. Abra stations are located along the Creek on both the Bur Dubai and Deira sides, and the system of filling the boats is remarkably efficient. The cross-river trip costs 1 Dirham (AED 1) per passenger, payable to the driver after the boat has left the station, and affords a very picturesque view of the city (not to be missed). Abras set off very regularly, and the service is available round-the-clock.
Waterbus : The Waterbus is another option for tourists who want to go by boat but avoid the abra crowd (or the heat). It is a part of Dubai’s public transport system, so again a Red ticket, or any Nol card is required for the journey. Can be purchased at the waterbus station. The waterbus also features a ‘tourist route’ round trip – while it is convenient, it can get quite expensive (Dh50 for an adult, Dh25 for a child).
By Car : There are a countless number of Rent-A-Cars that will provide a mode of transportation for very cheap rates and very little paperwork. An International Driving Permit is not necessarily required, but hire companies may not rent a car without one. Some agencies will hire out cars complete with drivers. Visitors taking advantage of this option will need to make certain that their driver knows his way around as many do not.

Things to CarryEdit

Carry camera.

Safety / WarningEdit

Never take a photograph with a person not in your travelling party in it without asking for permission first.
Public drunkenness is strictly prohibited, as is drinking and driving.
Dubai is in a Muslim country, clothing should be modest in order to respect local customs.