Al Souk Al Kabir (), also referred to as Grand Souq, Bur Dubai, is a locality in
Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
,
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
that refers to the
Souq in
Bur Dubai
Bur Dubai () is a historic district in Dubai, located on the western side of the Dubai Creek. The name is a reference to the traditional separation of the area from Deira by the creek.
Description
The Ruler's Court is located in the district ...
.
Important landmarks close to the Al Souk Al Kabir include the
Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood and the
Al Fahidi Fort.
History
Bur Dubai (in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
: بر دبي) translates to 'Mainland Dubai' and is the oldest historical neighborhood of Dubai. Al Souq Al Khabir is located in the north of the area, close to
Dubai Creek
Dubai Creek () is a natural Seawater, saltwater creek (tidal), creek in Dubai. It extends about inwards and forms a natural port that has traditionally been used for trade and transport. The creek ranges from in width while the average depth ...
. The
Bani Yas
The Bani Yas () is a tribe, tribal confederation of Najdi origin in the United Arab Emirates. The tribal coalition, consisting of tribes from Dubai to Khor Al Adaid in southeast Qatar, was called the Bani Yas Coalition (). The House of Nahyan, Al ...
tribe settled here in the 19th century, whom were of
Najdi Najdi may refer to:
*People of Najd
* Najdi (surname)
*Najdi Arabic
Najdi Arabic (, Najdi Arabic: , ) is the group of Arabic varieties originating from the Najd region of Saudi Arabia. Outside of Saudi Arabia, it is also the main Arabic variety ...
origin.
Dubai creek
Dubai Creek () is a natural Seawater, saltwater creek (tidal), creek in Dubai. It extends about inwards and forms a natural port that has traditionally been used for trade and transport. The creek ranges from in width while the average depth ...
served as a minor port for
dhow
Dhow (; ) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels ...
s, a traditional wooden boat, coming from
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
East Africa
East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...
. This area also played an important part in Dubai's pearl and fishing industry.
Modern times
The area is well known for its many textile shops and markets, predominantly selling South Asian fashion and accessories.
Amongst the majority of textile shops are tailors, gold shops, electronics and other small businesses. There are also various food outlets, restaurants and cafes.
References
{{UnitedArabEmirates-geo-stub