Some of the 35 heritage buildings and sites that are being restored by Dubai to treasure its history.
Photo: Unsplash
Dubai is a metropolis that is renowned for its skyline, and all the award-winning architecture it encompasses. That being said, with all the new additions popping up around the city, many would agree that the charm of ‘old Dubai’ is often overlooked. To combat this, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has approved the second phase of Dubai’s heritage architecture preservation project.
The Crown Prince of Dubai stated, “By protecting our heritage architecture, we seek to promote a deeper understanding among citizens, residents and visitors of what has shaped the emirate into the thriving metropolis it is today.” The project will be spearheaded with the ongoing aim to preserve Emirati cultural and the nation’s architectural heritage. Its original phase included 17 archaeological sites, 14 historical areas, and 741 buildings.
Part two of the ongoing project has been devised to restore an additional 35 heritage sites and buildings, many of which are iconic landmarks Dubai residents share fond memories of, from the famous Clock Tower in Deira, to Rashid Tower, Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport, and the Emirates Post Building in Al Karama. Also on the list are several parks and recreation spots in the country, including the nostalgia-invoking Al Nasr Leisureland, Safa Park Building, Emirates Zoo, Emirates Golf Club, and Dubai Creek Golf Club.
Lastly, Phase 2 will also include a selection of hospitals and mosques, including Dubai Hospital, Rashid Hospital, and Latifa Hospital (Al Wasl), and Jumeirah Mosque, Al Fahidi Mosque, and Rashidiya Grand Mosque, among other old neighborhoods and infrastructures in Dubai and Hatta, adding up to a total of 807 sites from both phases.
While speaking about the initiative, these Dubai’s old neighborhoods were fondly referred to as an “open museum of human heritage,” by His Highness. The royal then added, “The heritage areas covered by the project hold the memory of decades of progress and symbolize the dawn of Dubai’s renaissance. Located in the heart of modern Dubai, these sites bridge the past with the city’s future aspirations. Dubai invites the world to witness its past, present, and the future, all together in one place.”
