Al Bastakiya
It's not often that a place captivates me the way Al Bastakiya did. Bastakiya is located in Bur Dubai (Old Dubai) and it was built in the 1890's by a group of Iranian immigrants who needed housing. Unfortunately much of Bastakiya was destroyed in the 1970's to make room for offices. Dubai has managed to preserve what was left of Bastakiya and turned it into an art district of sorts. While walking through the streets I felt like I was in some sort of Middle Eastern fantasy with narrow alleyways, gorgeous lanterns, and little shops. It was so different from everything else in Dubai. The art work on display was beautiful and my only complaint was that I wish the area was bigger so that there was more to explore. There were little museums everywhere but since we were there on a Friday most of them were closed. I'm definitely planning on going back again and exploring some more. There's a ton of gorgeous cafes as well so it's easy to find something great to eat while you're there. For anyone who plans on taking a trip to Dubai I would definitely recommend paying a visit to Bastakiya!
