Dubai, Souk, Souk Madinet
Jumeirah, Burj al Arab Jumeirah Hotel
The dictionary definition of a “SOUK”
is an "Arab market or marketplace; a bazaar."
In Dubai, there is a large area of the older town that is full of “souks”
in winding roads and alleys. The most
popular area of souls are the spice and gold souks. The Spice Souk is located in eastern Dubai, in Deira and is adjacent to the gold souk in dubai The Spice Souk, is situated on Baniyas Street. the gold souks are in the locality of Al Dhagaya. Al Dhagaya and there are over 300 merchants selling exclusively gold and jewelry. Wikipedia estimates that at any given time, there are is over 10 tons of gold for sale in these Dubai gold souks.
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| Entrance to the Dubai Gold Souk, courtesy of Wikipedia |
If you visit here, don’t forget to “haggle”
or negotiate on the price to get the best deal. We did not have enough time to
visit this area of Dubai, but we did find time to visit the Souk Madinet
Jumeirah.
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| A spice souk in the Deira Souks, Dubai, Courtesy of Wikipedia |
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| Spice Souk, Marakesh, courtesy of Wikipedia. |
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| A Food souk in Amman, courtesy of Wikipedia |
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| This is the site plan for the souk Madinet with a list of all the places to shop, eat and relax |
This souk is actually a modern
version/re-creation of an ancient Arabian marketplace or bazaar. It has a Middle
Eastern flair and was built along the shore of the Arabian Sea very close to
the entrance of the Palm Jumeirah islands and the Burj al Arab Jumeirah Hotel,
the most luxurious hotel in the world. This
souk is in the heart of Madinat Jumeirah The Arabian Resort, Dubai.
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| Entrance to Souk Madinet
Jumeirah |
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| A view of the Burj al Arab Hotel from one of the many courtyards in the souk Madinet |
It is a Unique Shopping, Dining and
Entertainment experience where “visitors from around the world can enter a
world reminiscent of ancient Arabia through sight, smell and sound as sunlight
peeks in through the wood carved archways showcasing an intricate Arabic
architectural design."
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| Inside the Souk Madinat |
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| Inside the Souk Madinat |
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| Inside the Souk Madinat |
"Guests can explore a myriad of
winding streets in this traditional bazaar-like atmosphere that hosts
waterfront cafes, restaurants and bars and boutique-style open-shuttered shops
and intimate galleries. Through these meandering pathways, visitors can
purchase goods from barrows and shops spilling out into the streets selling a
variety of wares”. There are also with
boutiques, selling home wares and gifts from Italy, France and the USA.
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| Inside the Souk Madinat |
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| Inside the Souk Madinat |
More views from various courtyards and some of the restaurants and bars in the souk Madinet are shown below.
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| Another view of the Burj al Arab Hotel from the souk Madinet |
For dining or simply relaxing, there
are over 40 world class restaurants, bars and lounges to choose from. For more information about dining at the Souk Madinet
Jumeirah, just follow this link:
This is most surely a place you will want to visit during your stay in Dubai. It is a popular stop along one of the "Big Bus" tour lines, so it is to get to from almost any place in Dubai.
