Abras were the oldest form of the public transport system in Dubai. They enabled the movement of men and materials between the two shores of the creek.
The real history of the creek began just a few hundred years ago. Before the 1950s, the population of Dubai was around 50,000. But even then, it had a trading hub where merchants from different parts of the and stayed near the souk for a few weeks and leave after doing their business.
Moving things across the creek was important for the traders, and the city had not advanced enough to build a bridge. In fact, there wouldnt be a roadway between Deira and Bur Dubai until the Maktoum Bridge opened in 1963. Therfore Abras served the purpose. They were larger than a normal deck boat and were versatile enough to carry both goods and people.
It only took a few minutes to cross & just a short stroll away we came to The Grand Souq, as we passed colourful stalls selling a variety of
We left the Souq to walk alongside the Creek to the Heritage Buildings of Alseef, which was opened in 2017, passing a private yacht on the way.
Each house or building within the project has a story of its own. Some buildings are designed to look as if they were built in 1960s with darker walls, less lighting and simple decorative elements, while others have lighter walls with much more intricate details and embellishments on the faade.The colours used for the buildings were based on traditional Dubai sandstone.
The challenge was to design the buildings as if they had always been there withstanding the test of time through aging techniques and carefully calculated degradation percentages. Water marks, caulking and bulges in the edges all contribute to achieve this, as well as specifically chosen materials and finishes unique to local conditions of the time.
