For centuries, the Creek was the link between Dubai and the outside world. As the city changes so rapidly that it can be difficult to keep up, the port plays an important role in bridging past and present. Yet, remarkably, it still makes its living as a key part of Dubai’s import-export trade. Dubai was an important port for fishermen, pearl traders and merchants from the region and beyond, before the discovery of oil, the influx of tourists, mega-malls and skyscrapers
The best way to see the city is from the sea – sailing down the coast and into the heart and soul of the emirate, Dubai Creek.
“As we say, the Creek for Dubai is like the Nile for Cairo, like the Thames for London,” said Eng Rashad Bukhash, director of the architectural heritage department of Dubai Municipality.
The tranquil waters of the Creek offered a safe haven for vessels at a time when fishing and pearl-diving were the pillars of the economy.
The earliest mention of a city with the name Dubai can be found in a book by Gasparo Balbi, a Venetian pearl trader, from 1587. A British map from 1820 shows a walled city with about 1,000 residents at the location of what is today the bustling Bur Dubai neighbourhood.
The ancestors of the Al Maktoum royal family settled in Dubai in 1833.
Dubai’s prominence as a Gulf trading hub followed the decline of the city of Lengeh, or Linja, in present-day Iran.
That city, said Mr Bukhash, had been under the control of the Al Qassimi family from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah until the Iranian government took over in 1897.
The Dubai Creek, or Khor Dubai in Arabic, and the area surrounding it has a historical record which shows a vibrant culture of sea-fearing and trading of more than 150 years.
The municipality has carried out renovation work in the area and 187 historical buildings have been improved, according to the municipality. Following the advice of Unesco experts more signage, lighting, infrastructure and services, have been developed to get recognition as World Heritage Site by Unesco within 2017.
The area must represent a unique creative genius and be directly associated with historical events or living traditions, ideas or beliefs, among other standards.
In this way tourists will not visit Dubai only for skyscrapers, malls etcera, but also to enjoy its historical places.
