Please enter the magical world of the souks in 1001 nights

Who doesn’t know it – the fascinating image of Aladdin floating on his flying carpet over the roofs of the Arabian souks? Even in our imaginations we can literally smell the beguiling scents of incense, saffron and sandalwood. What seems to fit only in a fairy tale is reality for us! Every time we stroll through the souks in Bur and Deira in Dubai, we find ourselves in the middle of a fairytale magic world. We therefore consider it our second home.

Here we are in the souk of Dubai. The narrow streets and the colorful elements are beautiful for the eyes and of course for the photo

Starbucks super nice nestled in Al Seef Dubai

Our walk leads from Al Seef to the gold souk. We take you to very different stations with this blog. You can see where we are on the map.

The wonderful day starts in Al Seef (1)

It is 9:30 in the morning – very early by Dubai standards. However, the beautiful Starbucks in Al Seef is already open. There’s nothing like a good coffee in the morning. Vis-a-vis, a few steps away from the Starbucks, is the “Museum of Illusion”.

A picture of the Museum of Illusion in the Dubai Al Seef area. An interactive museum for young and old

What awaits us in the Museum of Illusions? It turns out to be a colorful, amusing and consequently ideal diversion from our historical day. Especially for children it is an exciting and amusing experience. Fortunately, the entrance fees are affordable. The length of stay also fits well into the program. You can expect a variety of optical illusions, tricky puzzles and even an anti-gravity room. The great photos are undoubtedly a perfect souvenir that completes the tour, which is fantastic in every respect. The staff is always helpful and happy to give you tips so that all photos turn out perfectly.

We continue our walk in the Al Seef area and are seduced by the enchanting alleys. In the process, we stroll past numerous stores. Of course, it’s just part of the game that vendors try to hawk their wares at any price, sometimes perhaps a little too pushily. Our tip: Respond with a friendly “no – thank you”! It is enough to continue undisturbed the pleasurable walk through the alleys.

A market stall in the al Seef area of Dubai. The artificial recreated area includes stores, restaurants and very nice photo opportunities

Al Seef was built in a traditional style that gives it an authentic, old-fashioned look, even though the area was created only a few years ago. As a layman, you hardly notice it, and frankly, it doesn’t matter much. Because here, in this enchanting environment, you still feel like in a fairy tale from 1001 nights.

Al Fahidi – the original old town of Dubai

We now cross the traffic circle of Al Seef and enter Al Fahidi. At first glance, it may seem that there is no difference, which proves that the replica of Al Seef is extremely successful. But knowing that we are now in the old and authentic Dubai, once shaped by wealthy textile and pearl traders from Bastak in Iran, adds an extra dimension to the atmosphere.

In 1995, the dilapidated buildings were carefully restored, and so when you enter Al Fahidi, you are literally immersed in the past. Here you can admire various wind towers, mosques and old houses, which today serve as art galleries, museums or cafes.

In the Arabian Teahouse the stomach growls not long

Who is surprised? Time flies and the stomach growls. Fortunately, this is not a problem in Dubai, because everywhere you can enjoy delicious food that is always of high quality. We don’t have to think long about where we want to take our guests – the choice falls on the Arabian Teahouse (3). The traditional Arabic cuisine convinces us every time anew, not least because of the variety, the tasty preparation of the meal and the magical atmosphere.

Although it is pleasantly warm outside, we decide to go inside, which is no less charming. On the contrary, with an imposing olive tree in the middle of the room, it feels like we are sitting in an idyllic garden. For those who are not too familiar with Arabic cuisine, we recommend ordering different dishes and sharing them. For us, the fixed repertoire always includes Shawarma – a wrap filled with tender chicken and aromatic spices (see picture below). Of course, hummus and mutabal are not to be missed, dishes that are better known in Europe as mezze from Lebanon. The full menu can be found here.

the delicious food at the Arabian Teahouse. the haloumi salad with hummus are very very tasty. There are many other specialtiesf

Shawarma is very famous in Arabia and extremely tasty

Let’s dive into different souks

We continue our way towards Textil Souk, passing an Indian temple. To be honest, it is hard to tell from the outside that it is a temple. But for us it is remarkable that this Indian temple is located right next to a mosque. This once again underscores Dubai’s openness to different religions. In Dubai, everyone is welcome, regardless of origin or creed. This diversity and openness towards tourists and locals is something we really appreciate about Dubai, and of course everyone attaches great importance to respect.

After about 15 minutes we reach the bustling textile souk (4). Here people trade, buy, chat and greet each other in a friendly manner. By now we know this area very well, but it is always nice to see how friends of ours react when they are in the Dubai souk for the first time. The eyes are wide open and it doesn’t take long before the first photos are taken. It is always an impressive sight.

In the textile souk you can buy various souvenirs. You can also strengthen yourself with fresh juices. There are many stores near the Indian temple where you can buy Indian things.

Suddenly we are standing in a first store. Of course, everyone wants to take home beautiful souvenirs. This tip should not be missed: It is important to negotiate the price patiently and skillfully. A local tour guide once told us that nothing over AED 40 should cost.

While this figure seems a bit low to us right off the bat, it’s definitely worth negotiating the price.

With the “Abra” we cross the Creek river

For a truly fascinating experience, take a ride on an abra (Arabic for “to cross”) (5) During this short crossing, passengers take a seat on the rustic wooden benches. The ride costs only 1 AED, which is about 0.25 cents. Abras run between the textile souk and the Oldsouk throughout the day. For a small fee, you can also rent an abra and take an extended tour, learning a lot about the old district of Dubai.

Since we consider ourselves locals, we gladly take on the role of guide for our friends and explain a lot of interesting facts to them during the five-minute ride across the river. The view is breathtaking, and it’s hard for everyone to focus on just one point. The mixture of modern city architecture and the hustle and bustle of local merchants is extremely fascinating. Unfortunately, time passes far too quickly here as well, and already we have to get out again.

Since we are here with our own car, of course we have to drive back. Therefore, on the way back with the Abra, our guests again have the opportunity to “soak up” the atmosphere.

The traditional Boots Abras at Dubai Creek. With these boats the crossing of the creek is very easy and above all also inexpensive.

Arrived in Deira – two last souks

To get to the Spice Souk (6), we pass through an underpass that leads directly from the jetty under a busy road. From a considerable distance, our senses are pleasantly stunned by the oriental spices. The atmosphere in the souk is lively, and the alleys are even narrower than in the textile souk. The heat presses down on us and the skin starts to sweat, but that’s just part of Dubai.

Right at the beginning of the souk we meet a friendly merchant who explains all the spices to us. Since we often shop here, we have also recommended tourists to stock up here. Because of the air conditioning in Dubai, we often have colds, so we regularly buy the Eucalyptus Crystal, whose intense scent immediately opens our noses so we can breathe freely again. If you don’t want to buy anything here, take your time to take unforgettable photos, because as mentioned several times, it “hails” with delightful motifs.

The spice souk of Dubai is located in the district of Deira. Here is also the gold souk

The spice souk of Dubai is located in the district of Deira. The gold souk is also located here. Here is an orientation board

We are standing in front of the gold souk, and golden trinkets are beaming at us everywhere. For us Europeans, 24 karat gold may seem rather kitschy and fake, but most of the jewelry offered here is made of 24 karat gold, as this is preferred by the Arab population. The price of gold always varies and is calculated day by day.

It is important to know here that the prices are given per gram and not per piece as is usual for us. Security is absolutely guaranteed, because the entire souk is equipped with cameras and there are many civilian police. So you can buy jewelry here with a clear conscience and without risk. The different souks on the Deira side are very close to each other, so you can switch between them at any time.

Our walk ends here. We take an abra back across the creek, and then it’s home for us. When our guests are happy, we are happy.

By the way, on our first visit to the souk, we were accompanied by Mohammed. Through this extremely exciting tour we learned a lot – about the general life in Dubai, as well as about the history of Dubai. We can absolutely recommend this tour!

Your Sascha