August 25, 2010

F is for Al Fahidi Fort

Dubai does not rank among my favorite cities I have visited. Flashy superlatives (the first, the biggest, the tallest...) and frivolous are words that immediately come to mind.

Yet I did enjoy our stop at the oldest building in the city: Al Fahidi Fort.  Built in the last years of the 1700s (the history I read does not agree on one date),  about the time the settlement was established, it was originally used for sea defense. In later years it served as a jail, an ammunition store, an emir residence and the seat of government. 

Since 1970 the building has been a museum displaying an interesting range of cultural artifacts. I was most interested in the fort itself.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2005


my Chinese "brother" Tom - then business partner


This beautiful carved door is impressive, and I can only wonder where the wood came from in those days.


The many dioramas were effective in giving me a peek into the locals' past desert life - before oil was discovered. Sorry about the flash glare, but I did think this image showed something uncommon. Lots to look at here, like the gorgeous fabric of the woman's dress. This couple must have had a high social position.


This brief glimpse into the Al Fahidi Fort Museum is posted for ABC Wednesday where the letter F is the prompt. Follow the link for many more links to takes on this letter.

25 comments:

VP said...

A surprise location and a fascinating museum. I wonder if those square things in the second picture are benches...

Francisca said...

@VP - I think they might be a tad low for benches, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to sit outside in that oppressive heat. (I have some benches for you, though :-) )

Vinay Leo R. said...

some very beautiful photographs of the fort :) thanks for sharing! :D

My ABC Wednesday Post

Rajesh said...

Beautiful shots of fort. It has been converted into a nice museum.

Francisca said...

@VP... I looked at the originals, and hey, they ARE benches, square wood slat benches! :-)

Sylvia K said...

Marvelous captures of the fort and I think it's great that it has been converted to a museum! Great post for the F Day! Enjoy your week!

Sylvia

photowannabe said...

Interesting pictures of the Fort. Glad to see it because I don't think I will ever make it there.

Roger Owen Green said...

Never been to Dubai, but frivolous definitely came to mind, so I'm glad that there is some history preserved there.

On behalf of ABC Wednesday team, thank you! - ROG

Gigi Ann said...

Very informative post for F Day. Thanks for sharing.

Have a fabulous week.

Leslie: said...

Fascinating...don't know if I'd ever go there myself.

cieldequimper said...

I am now interested in Dubai which I too associated with wealth, huge modern buildings and skiing in the desert.

Kay L. Davies said...

Very interesting place. I'm learning something new all the time. Thanks.

Cezar and Léia said...

Wow Dubai, it's definitely my kind of dream!Amazing set of pictures!
Happy ABC Wednesday
Léia - Bonjour Luxembourg

Dina said...

I'm glad they still have something old.
Thanks for this tour of a fabulous fort which I will probably never get to see in person.

Anita Johnson said...

I love going to places with you...the carving on the door is just beautiful, the richness of the wood compared to the gray stone is stunning.

Anonymous said...

Great photography - thank you for this nice escape in the middle of the night.

daily athens

☺lani☺ said...

Interesting! I've never been to Dubai, although I have friends working there. BTW, thanks for dropping by and giving me more information about burning ghost paper. Actually, not all Taiwanese are following that, mostly the Buddhist Temples here have a big celebration. Happy Mid-week!

michael said...

Surprising location. I had thought Dubai was one of those ancient cities. Your photos show the fort well.

Verna Luga said...

o, interesting place... humans really! You captured it well, thanks for letting us know.
My ABC Wednesday here
And Here Too
hope you can drop by, Have A Nice Day!

tapirgal said...

What a fascinating set of photos. I would have loved a visit - just wrap the place in a dome with A/C for my visit, please :)

Kaori said...

It's amazing how the fort was used for so many purposes! The ship is very impressive as well. I can already feel the heat from your lovely photos ;-D

Julie said...

That carved door is very impressive, Francisca. I was wondering about the construction of the fort. What is it made from? There is one shot where it looks like the ends of logs, but I suspect that is plain wrong. Even rocks is a long shot considering the natural environment. Any ideas?

Wendy said...

I can see the old Turkish influence in the architecture and that lovely door! Wonderful post...

Unknown said...

Great photos of a place I've never been to.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating place, good shots!