Tag - Architecture

DAYR AL KAHF (دير الكهف)

We overnight close to the “Monastery of Caves,” a purpose-built Roman fort in the 4th century. The fort primarily served as a sentry post. Like its famous neighbor Umm Al Jimal, Dayr Al Kahf is also constructed of black basalt, though the scattered ruins here are not nearly as...

OLD DUBAI – II.

After our service in Saluki Motorsport, we spent our free afternoon again in Old Dubai around the Al Fahidi historical district. We got there by Dubai Metro (🎟️8 AED, GOLD🎟️ 14 AED), it was supposed to take us some 14 minutes to walk from the Sharaf DG Metro Station, so we first had a...

SHARJAH (الشارقة)

We had a lovely day in the more conservative emirate of Sharjah (no alcohol available). Sharjah takes a more subtle approach, forgoing glitz to concentrate on culture and history. It is home to some of the country’s best museums and art galleries: the restored Sharjah Heritage Area...

AJMAN (عجمان)

We made it to the smallest of the seven emirates. Most people come here for a beach break. But we parked next to the excellent museum in the fort from the late 18th century. The fort served as the ruler’s residence until 1970 and also saw a stint as the police station. Now, its...

AL HAMRA (قرية الحمراء)

Just a few kilometers away from our service point and truck storage garage lies the abandoned village of Al Hamra. With roots in the 16th century, it is one of the UAE’s oldest and best-preserved coastal villages. Its people mainly subsisted on fishing and pearling until they picked...

AL GHAT (الغاط)

We stopped at Old Deira Al Ghat Heritage Village, around 250 kilometers from Riyadh. It is situated on the northern bank of the Wadi Al-Ghat and stretches over 1,5 kilometers. It is one of the largest traditional villages in Saudi Arabia in the Najdi style. There is a museum located in...

MANSOUR PALACE (قصر منصور)

We made another crazy stop in Saudi Arabia and hope it is the last one on this trip. We followed the road trip guide and arrived at Al Mansour Palace in Al Awsajiyah. Unfortunately, it’s just a ruin, and sadly, we did not find any information about this tiny forgotten palace...

UYUN AL JAWA (عيون الجواء)

We didn’t expect much from this stop, but to our surprise, we found a lovely old town with a collection of old mud houses built with adobe, clay, and mud. Most of them were completely demolished, but some survived the rain torrents and were renovated. Parking location – Uyun...

DUBAI MARINA

We loved Dubai’s southernmost district, brimming with luxurious beachfront resorts, restaurants, and some of the city’s most glamorous see-and-be-seen nightclubs. Daytime, we strolled along the Dubai Marina waterfront; we enjoyed The Walk at JBR and, of course, The Beach at...

DUBAI GLOBAL VILLAGE

We encounter the world at the deliciously kitschy Global Village (🎟️23 AED). The carnival-like Global Village is like a “world fair” for shoppers. Each of the 35-something pavilions spread over a massive space showcases a specific nation’s culture and products. Aside...