Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House is a museum situated in the historic part, Al Shindagha, of the city of Dubai. The museum gets its name from Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum who was a former ruler of Dubai and the owner of the house which has now been converted into a museum. This historic building was constructed in the year 1896 and remained home to the Al Maktoum family right till the death of the sheikh in 1958.
The home is a masterpiece of old Arab architecture and sits beautifully along the Dubai Creek or Khor Dubai. Spread across a generous 3,600 square metres, the house was built without fences or a boundary wall. The palace, as it is sometimes referred to, is made up of four distinct wings. The entire structure portrays traditional styles of architecture and design and has a spacious courtyard, long alleyways, finely crafted wooden doors and airy balconies.
The materials used in the construction of the building take you back to the olden times. The coral and shell stones used in constructing the walls along with the exposed palm trunk beams used in the ceiling will take you back to old Dubai. The most arresting feature of the heritage building, however, are the four wind towers that rise above the rest of the house and offer great views of the gulf.
The displays in the museum are divided into nine wings which display artefacts, coins, stamps, historical documents and pictures related to the history of Saeed Al Maktoum House, Al Maktoum Family, old Dubai, marine life, views from Dubai and Dubai society among others. It offers excellent opportunities to explore Dubai’s past and its relationship to the entire world. You can trace the gradual rise of Dubai from a traditional Arab city into the global travel destination it has become.
