Dubai Culture highlights services of museums and heritage sites

DUBAI: Dubai’s museums and heritage sites provide the diverse community of Dubai with rich experiences across the emirate, and Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is mandated with safeguarding them as beacons of knowledge and a testament to the emirate’s past and rich cultural heritage.

Dubai Culture is committed to its cultural responsibility of preserving the emirate’s tangible and intangible heritage, celebrating Dubai’s history and authentic values of Emirati heritage based on the authority’s belief in the importance of museums and heritage sites when introducing the world to Dubai’s vibrant history as well as in consolidating the emirate’s global cultural position. Through museums and heritage sites, the authority seeks to provide centers of culture and heritage that would contribute to providing rich cultural experiences for a wide range of visitors including Emiratis, residents, and international tourists.

Through its website and application, the authority provides a portal that delivers a wide array of services to encourage the public to explore the various creative and cultural aspects of Dubai, learn about the emirate’s history and rich heritage and interact with its vibrant and thriving cultural and artistic scene. Community members, for example, can easily obtain services from Dubai Culture’s website as well as Etihad and Al Shindagha Museums website, such as ticket reservations, guided tours for groups, and delegations in museums and heritage sites, as well as venue booking services within museum sites.

A dynamic 21st-century museum, Etihad Museum is focused on inspiring its visitors with the story of the founding of the UAE. The 25,000 m2 landmark is befittingly located at the very place where the UAE was founded in 1971. Through a unique visitor journey, the various pavilions house experience-driven exhibitions, interactive programs, and education initiatives that explore the chronology of events that culminated in the unification of the Emirates in 1971, with a key emphasis on the period between 1968 and 1974. The programs also aim to educate visitors about the nation’s constitution, in particular – the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that it bestows upon the people.

Al Shindagha Museum, on the other hand, is considered a heritage museum with a global character that connects Emiratis, residents, and visitors to the rich heritage and unravels the strong relationship that binds the past to the contemporary identity. The museum is located within the historical houses of the Al Shindagha Historical District on the banks of the Dubai Creek, narrating the history of the emirate and highlighting its cultural heritage.

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood provides an opportunity to experience an authentic Emirati neighbourhood and its unique characteristics, where historical buildings with high wind towers (Barajeel), built with traditional building materials, are separated by alleys, pathways, and public squares, giving the place a natural and beautiful diversity. Cafés, restaurants, and hotels are spread throughout, and visitors can enjoy an interactive tour led by a cultural guide, through which they can explore the offerings that include specialised museums, such as the Coins Museum, Coffee Museum, and Bayt Al Khanyar Museum, as well as the history of the traditional architecture in the buildings.

WAM