1 SightS
FJu irah MosqueMe Mo Sque
Map p218 (Jumeirah rd, Jumeirah 1; htours
10am Sat, Sun, Tue & Thu) If you want to learn
about Islamic religion and culture, beat a
fast track to this splendid, intricately de-
tailed mosque (stunningly lit at night).
It’s the only one in Dubai that’s open to
non-Muslims, but only during the one-
hour guided tours operated by the Sheikh
Mohammed Centre for Cultural Under-
standing (see the boxed text, p67), which
wrap up with a Q&A session. There’s
no need to pre-book; just register at the
mosque before the tour. Show up dressed
modestly (no shorts, back and arms should
be covered and women need to wear a
headscarf) and remove your shoes before
entering. Cameras are allowed.
a -lsafa parK p rka
Map p218 (Jumeirah 2; admission Dh3; h8am-
11pm; c) Bordered by Sheikh Zayed and Al-
Wasl roads, this pretty and popular park is
a pastiche of lawn, gardens and waterfalls,
a ladies’ garden, children’s playgrounds and
even a lake where you can feed the ducks
or take your sweetie for a spin in a rowing
or paddle boat. Sporty types can use the
jogging track or play volleyball, basketball,
football or tennis. After dark the rides (near
Al-Wasl Rd) get busy. Tuesday is women
and children only. The Dubai Flea Market
(p100) is held here once a month.
Ma is GhorfaJl T
uM-al-sheef Th iSoriC builDinG
Map p218 (Jumeirah 3; admission Dh1; h8.30am-
8.30pm Sat-Thu, 3.30-8.30pm Fri) Located
south of Jumeirah Rd, behind Citibank, this
traditional building has been well restored
and is worth a stop if you are in the area.
The two-storey structure was built in 1955
as a summer residence of the late Sheikh
Rashid bin Saeed al-Maktoum. Made of
gypsum and coral rock with a palm frond
roof and a wind tower, it provided a cool
retreat from the heat. The palm tree gar-
den features a traditional falaj irrigation
system. The actual majlis (meeting room)
upstairs is decorated with cushions, rugs, a
coffee pot, pottery and food platters, and is
pretty close to the way it would have looked
in Sheikh Rashid’s day.
Fp o r arT Gallery a GalleryrT
Map p218 (www.proartuae.com; palm Strip Mall,
Jumeirah 1; h10am-10pm Sat-Thu) Based on
an extraordinary donated private collec-
tion, this gallery is more like an art mu-
seum with original paintings, lithographs
and sculptures by such smock-and-beret
masters as Chagall, Dufy, Damien Hirst,
Arman, Le Corbusier (yes, he was an art-
ist too...) and Picasso. These days the gal-
lery concentrates on street art – there are
a couple of original Banksys here – with a
vibrant program of regular exhibitions.1 Umm Suqeim
Popular with families, residential Umm
Suqeim (also divided into sections 1, 2
and 3) is flanked by fabulous beaches and
a clutch of high-end resorts, including Ju-
meirah Beach Hotel and the Burj al-Arab. It
is punctuated by the Disneyesque but still
evocative Madinat Jumeirah, with its souq,
high-end hotels and fancy restaurants and
party spots. This beach is particularly pop-
ular with the surfing crowd. Note that there
are no facilities.MadinaT JuMeirah h l CooTe MpleX
Map p218 (al-Sufouh rd, umm Suqeim 3) A city
within a city, the Madinat Jumeirah is a
Dubai must-see. There’s plenty to do at this
fanciful hotel, shopping and entertainment
complex with the Burj al-Arab in the back-
ground. Explore the Arabian-style architec-
ture, snoop around the splendid Al-Qsar
and Mina A’ Salam hotels, or get lost in the
labyrinth of the souvenir-saturated souq.
There are some exquisite details through-
out, so if you see some stairs, take them –
they might lead you to a hidden terrace
with a mesmerising vista of the sprawling
complex. If you’re a hotel guest, or have a
restaurant reservation, you can catch the
silent abras (water taxis) cruising along the
4km-long network of Venetian-style canals
for free. Otherwise, the cost is Dh50 for a
guest tour. Billowing bougainvillea, bushy
banana trees and soaring palms character-
ise the enchanting grounds, which are scru-
pulously maintained by a small army of gar-
deners. Sure, there’s an undeniable ‘Disney
does Arabia’ artifice about the whole place,
but it’s all done tastefully and, not surpris-
ingly, it’s one of Dubai’s most popular spots.JumeirahSi
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