Sheikh Saeed al-Maktoum House

Lonely Planet review

Now a wonderful museum of pre-oil times, the grand courtyard house of Sheikh Saeed, the grandfather of Sheikh Mohammed, sits splendidly on the Shindagha area waterfront, near the Heritage and Diving Villages.

Built in 1896, during the reign of Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher al-Maktoum, it served for many years as residence for the Al-Maktoum family, and Sheikh Saeed lived here from 1888 until his death in 1958. It houses an engaging exhibition of photographs, primarily from the 1940s, '50s and '60s, taken on the Creek, in the souqs and at traditional celebrations. There are also displays of postage stamps and coins (one featuring Edward VII was known as umm salaah, meaning the 'bald headed one') and a model of Bur Dubai from the 1950s also helps tell the story.