A Guide to Historical Places in the United Arab Emirates 🏫

Many people know the UAE with its modern buildings and advanced city areas. However, the UAE has a long history and a rich culture. UAE is an Arabian country located in the Middle East on the coastlines of the Persian Gulf; in the last few years after the petroleum discovery, UAE started the modernization process and rebuilt the cities with the money and wealth from selling petroleum. Cities got more luxurious and advanced.
Nowadays, when you are walking in the cities of UAE, all you see are the newest inventions and most advanced buildings. However, under the glamour and charm of the UAE’s cities lies a long history and heritage that helped them get to where they are now.
In this article, we will talk about the historical places in the United Arab Emirates and give a short profile of every one of them. This article helps you see a glimpse of UAE’s heritage and history and richen your trip plan to UAE with historical places.

Jumeirah Mosque

Jumeirah Mosque is a grand mosque built in 1979. It was one of the first buildings in the Jumeirah neighborhood. This mosque hasn’t been around for a long time, but it’s one of the prominent mosques in the UAE.

The Islamic religion in UAE’s culture and society. The glamour and beauty of the Jumeirah Mosque will show you the greatness of Islamic architecture.
Jumeirah Mosque is newly built, but the architecture and design are inspired by the traditional Fatimid Style, which comes from other Arabian countries, such as Egypt and Syria. If you want a newly built mosque with the newest equipment and traditional architecture, visit the Jumeirah Mosque.

Location: Jumeirah, Jumeirah 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Al Fahidi Historical (Al Bastakiya)

This neighborhood in Dubai is a historic area that goes back to the 1890s. This district is the last piece of old Dubai, remaining the traditional Dubai city before the wealth and modernization.

To know what old Dubai and other UAE cities were like before modernization, you must visit the Al Fahidi historical neighborhood. Walking into this neighborhood, you feel as if you are back in time to the olden days of Dubai. At its highest time, this neighborhood had the capacity for 60 house units and stores.

Timings: Every day from 7 AM to 8 PM.
Location: Bur Dubai, Al Hamriya, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Al Bidya Mosque & Fort

Al Bidya Mosque is a landmark that is over 600 years old, and it’s considered the oldest mosque in the UAE. The Al Bidya Mosque is located between two forts that were used for the protection of the city.

A fascinating fact about the Al Bidya Mosque is that they used no wood to build the structure, and it’s still working like it was on the first day. The Al Bidya Mosque is a small mosque that can’t handle more than 20 people simultaneously.

Timings: Every day from 8 AM to 6:30 PM.
Location: 35 kilometers away from Fujairah City.

Souks

A fantastic part of every trip is shopping. Every traveler visiting a country for the first time likes to see the traditional shopping centers of that country out of curiosity and to purchase souvenirs for sure.

The traditional shopping centers in the UAE are called Souk. Every city in UAE has at least one Souk remaining from the past centuries. UAE is the heaven of malls and modern shopping centers with products and brands worldwide. But you may want to explore a traditional Arabian shopping center with traditional handicrafts.

You can purchase golden jewelry pieces, hand-knitted fabrics, traditional Arabian perfumes, and souvenirs from the UAE and the Middle East.

Hatta Village Grand Mosque

The Hatta village is a village only 2 hours away from Dubai City. There is a mosque located in the Hatta village that goes back to the 1780s. The Hatta village is the most populated in the winter because of its closeness to the mountain and the opportunity to experience winter sports like skiing, hiking, etc.

Many visitors put Hatta Village on their trip plan to UAE for the nature and the entertainment options. On the other hand, many tourists come to Hatta Village for the historic sites, including the oldest castle and fort in the UAE and a historic mosque.

Timings:
- Saturday to Thursday from 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM
- Friday from 2:30 to 8:30 PM.
Location: village 130 kilometers from Dubai City, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Al Ahmadiya School

Al Ahmadiya is known as the oldest modern school in UAE, and it was inaugurated in 1912. This school was inaugurated for the second time in the 70s, only this time as a museum.

Other than the objects featured in this museum, the architecture and building of this museum can tell you a lot about the history of education in the UAE. There are some critical treasures in this museum that will educate about the art and culture of the UAE. You can also find biographies of famous people in the UAE who used to go to Al Ahmadiya School as children.

Timings:
- Every day from 8 AM to 7:30 PM
- Friday from 2:30 to 7:30 PM.
Location: Deira, Al Ras, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn)

Sharjah Fort is a fort built 200 years ago to protect Sharjah city. This Fort is located in the historic district of Sharjah city. The building has several rooms with different exhibitions, and every one presents a particular part of UAE and Sharjah’s history.

You can go on the roof of this building and have a perfect view of Sharjah City.

Timings:
- Saturday to Thursday from 8 AM to 8 PM
- Friday from 4 to 8 PM.
Location: Hisn Avenue, Al Shuwaihean, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Grand Bur Dubai Masjid

The oldest mosque in Dubai City is the Grand Bur Masjid, built in 1900. The mosque was rebuilt two times after the first building.

DUBAI Grand Mosque has dress codes. Men are not allowed to wear shorts. Women are not allowed in the mosque if their clothes are not long enough, such as their sleeves, pants, and dress. You are also asked to take your shoes off before entering the mosque. Women are supposed to wear a traditional Arabian robe called an Abaya, which you will get at the mosque’s entrance, and you will give back when you leave.