Dubai Fort is situated at the south of Dubai Creek, at the Al Souk Al Kabir area which teems with vigorous trade and is close to the Ruler's Court (the monarch's divan). It was built back in 1787, about 200 years ago, as the premises of the monarch and a fort of defence, since it sat on the border of the urban Dubai at the time.
Later on, this fort turned into an arsenal for artillery and weapons. It was also used as a prison for the outlaws. This fort was renovated during the reign of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. It was opened in 1971 (the year the federation was formed), to be an official museum that displays the history of Dubai and its original heritage. In 1995, another underground museum was established and added to the old fort.
The visitors of Dubai Museum "Al Fahidi Fort" have an opportunity to get rich, full and integral knowledge of the very old history of Dubai that interacted with different people and civilizations across history. Visitors will get acquainted with the different environments of urban and rural lives in Dubai, whether they are marine, coastal, desert, mountain or agricultural life. Rare authentic monuments, original samples, drawings and diagrams, audio and video media are scattered all over the wings of the museum.
The museum consists of the monuments wing, which displays antique monuments such as pottery, weapons, tombs, buildings and urban communities. The wing of Dubai between the past and the present, the market in the 1950s wing, displays comprehensive examples reflecting the market atmosphere, vendors, shops and goods sold in those times. There is also the traditional home and masjid wing, the oasis wing, desert, story of the water and desert at night. There is also the astronomy and natural phenomena wing along with a sea wing that takes the visitor on a breathtaking tour to get to know shipbuilding and the manufacture of shipping equipment, the profession of pearl diving and the marine life on the floor of the Arabian Gulf. Also, there is the folklore wing, as well as the weapons and Old Dubai fortification wing. In the centre of Fahidi Fort lies a spacious yard that is used for displaying models of local boats and bamboo houses with their traditional furniture.
A visit to Dubai Museum "Al Fahidi Fort" offers an opportunity to get acquainted with the history of Dubai, which gives an impression that Dubai's current development, modernism and distinction are only a continuation of a journey of a unique and distinguished civilization that was subjected to different cultures and people, as well as an example of the strong bond with Arabism and Islam. The comparison between old and modern Dubai, which are separated by a few number of years, show you the great, continuous efforts that led Dubai to its current state of progress and pioneering. It also consolidates the confidence that all that Dubai has become today is based on a deeply rooted civilization.