UAE: UAE Heritage Village (Part 1)

Al Alam Street, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sat-Thu: 9.00am - 4.00pm
Fri: 3.30pm - 9.00pm

Run by Emirates Heritage Club, UAE Heritage Village is a reconstruction of a traditional desert village that gives visitors a glimpse into the past. Located next to Abu Dhabi Theatre and not too far from Marina Mall, it houses museums, workshops and stalls offering a plethora of interesting goods.

Entrance to UAE Heritage Village is free of charge.

Immerse yourself in this family-friendly time capsule featuring pre-modernisation Abu Dhabi!

Firstly, my BFF and I dropped by the historical archive room near the entrance gate.

The walled complex represents a fort to repel invaders from the sea in the past.

Petra, a famous archaeological site in Jordan, has always been on my bucket list.

From clothes to spices, there are lots of choices to buy as souvenirs.

Middle Eastern sweets, anyone?

Take your time to explore the village. Trust me, it's fun!

Imagine living like the Bedouin, who are nomadic Arab people inhabiting desert regions.

Swimming isn't allowed there.

When I was about to go to the toilet, I noticed a peculiar sign. I suppose that's the Chinese character 男 (lit. male) rotated 90 degree anti-clockwise.

One building is dedicated to women's handicrafts.

Babies with moustache?

Full concentration~

Let's move on to the desert area.

Well-groomed camel!

Very basic, but seemingly comfortable enough~

There's also a model of a typical house built with pebbles in the eastern mountainous area inhabited by the Shuhuh tribe.

The archaeological is a tad disappointing as there isn't much to see.

That sword sculpture looks like a banana or a chili to me.

You're mistaken if you think you'll only see a camel and a horse there.

It kept staring at me. So adorable!

Take a look at a traditional palm tree irrigation system if you're interested.

There's a boat workshop.

Such a gigantic wheel!

We shall look into two museums and more workshops in Part 2.