Visit Madinat Jumeirah, One of Dubai's Most Popular Tourist Spots
Anyone passing by Dubai, no matter how short their stay is, needs to check out Souk Madinat Jumeirah during their visit. This attraction perfectly merges modernity and culture in one place. Souk means market in Arabic, and the Souk Madinat Jumeirah mimics a traditional Arabic market in its architecture, creating an historic atmosphere mixed with contemporary restaurants and bars. Find out more here.
This is the ideal place for visitors to understand what Dubai looked like in the past. The market-style attraction even copies the old wind towers, designed to help cool the desert heat long before the time of air-conditioning. However, Souk Madinat Jumeirah has much more to it than just beautiful architecture – it is populated with excellent and traditional shops, selling everything from souvenirs to regional decorative items. Most shops are little stands, further emphasizing the bazaar style of the place. Here, visitors can purchase items from all over the Middle East – from Turkish plates to Persian carpets – you’re bound to find something you love.
Alongside bringing to life the Arabian market, Souk Madinat Jumeirah is also a centre for Dubai’s thriving nightlife. The location is filled with bars, pubs, restaurants and more. Come to Madinat Jumeirah over the weekend and you’ll get the opportunity to fully experience what a fun night out in Dubai feels like. Whether you want to check out a fine restaurant, such as The Meat and Co., or grab drinks with friends while listening to good music at Trader Vic’s, or check out an exciting off-the-beaten-track pub like Belgian Beer Cafe – you’ll find it all here. Souk Madinat Jumeirah is also well known for having several restaurants that serve hookah, known as shisha in Dubai, allowing visitors to sample the most traditional experience possible.
Perhaps what makes Souk Madinat Jumeirah one of the most popular tourist spots in Dubai is its perfect view of the Burj Al Arab. This is the only 7 star hotel in Dubai and the most popular destination in the entire Emirate. At Madinat Jumeirah, visitors can take a unique photo of the famous hotel, with its modern architecture perfectly contrasting the souk’s traditional wind towers and creating a perfect metaphor to encapsulate Dubai: the old and the new, tradition and modernity. Other than the picture-perfect photo op of the Burj Al Arab, this location also offers beautiful canals for visitors to contemplate and photograph. Although many create parallels to the canals in Venice, these were actually constructed to mimic the Creek, where Dubai’s population began its growth long before oil was discovered and the Emirate’s economy thrived.