Dubai Museum

Unless some mad scientist invents a magic time-travel machine, this nifty museum is your ticket to exploring Dubai’s history, culture and traditions in an hour or so. Exhibits are housed in the 1799 Al-Fahidi Fort, considered the oldest building in Dubai and once the seat of government and residence of Dubai’s rulers.

This low-key museum tells the Dubai story with minimal fuss and plenty of charm. Start with a quick spin around the courtyard with its old-time fishing boats and traditional dwellings, including a barasti house with wind tower. Pop behind the heavy carved wooden doors to check out modest displays of instruments and handcrafted weapons before heading down a spiralling ramp to the main galleries. In the first room a slick multimedia presentation charts Dubai’s exponential growth from tiny trading post to megalopolis, although the timeline on the opposite wall goes into greater depth. Beyond here, a series of cutesy dioramas recreate Old Dubai, complete with a souq, a school, a desert camp and other settings. Other displays focus on the Bedu and desert flora and fauna; traditional costumes and jewellery; and pearling, fishing and dhow boat building. Last up is the archaeology section with locally unearthed artefacts. A highlight is a recreated grave from the Al-Qusais tombs. Explanatory panelling is in English and Arabic.