Round trip through the Emirates

It all started at the CreekIn 1833, members of the Bani Yas tribe under the Al Maktoum family settled at the mouth of the Creek. Pearl diving and a tax-free port for foreign merchants made Dubai a trading hub; around 1900, merchants from Bastak, Iran, built the quarter known today as Al Fahidi. The Al Fahidi Fort was built around 1787 and became the city's first museum in 1971; it has been closed for restoration since 2021.Discover Emirati CultureThe Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding is located in a restored house in Al Fahidi. Under the motto "Open Doors, Open Minds," it offers tours of the Jumeirah Mosque and Emirati meals in the courtyard of a wind-tower house, where hosts answer questions about religion and daily life.Birthplace of the EmiratesOn December 2, 1971, the rulers signed the declaration establishing the United Arab Emirates at Union House in Dubai. The Etihad Museum on the site tells this story.

City of the QawasimThe fortress of the ruling Al Qasimi family was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1621 and by the British in 1820, and subsequently rebuilt. The family lived here until 1964, after which the building served as a police station and prison, and has been a museum since 1987. The Mohammed bin Salem Mosque in the old town is the emirate's oldest place of worship and the only mosque there without a minaret.Al Jazirat al-Hamra Pearl Fishing VillageLocated on a former tidal island on the emirate's coast are approximately 500 houses, a fort, watchtowers, a souk, and a mosque. The inhabitants from the Zaab tribe left the village between 1968 and 1971. It is considered the last preserved pearl fishing village on the Gulf and is on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage List. The site is an open-air museum; guided tours with volunteer guides can be booked via the Heritage Village website.ShimalThe Shimal archaeological site includes Bronze Age tombs and the ruins of a palace from the Julfar period (13th to 16th century), popularly known as the Palace of the Queen of Sheba. A staircase follows the medieval ascent, though there is no historical connection to the Queen of Sheba.

The Fort and the Old TownFujairah Fort is located about two kilometers from the modern center, in Old Fujairah. Wahhabist troops occupied it from 1808 to 1810, and it later served as a prison. In 1925, the British Navy shelled the fort, after which it fell into disrepair until its restoration from 1997 to 2000.Sheikh Zayed MosqueOpened in 2015, this mosque is considered the second largest in the Emirates, after the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi. It can accommodate around 28,000 worshippers. Reports vary on whether non-Muslims are permitted to visit the interior. According to a 2024 travel report, this is possible outside of prayer times and not on Fridays, upon registration at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre.BullfightingFor over 70 years, bulls have competed every Friday in Fujairah in an enclosed ring, locking horns against each other. There are no matadors, and the fights are bloodless. They usually start in the late afternoon, but animal welfare activists still criticize the practice.

Cultural Sites of Al AinIn 2011, UNESCO inscribed sites in four areas: Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud, and the oases. They demonstrate that the desert region has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age. Among the most famous evidence are stone tombs from the 3rd millennium BC and early examples of the Aflaj irrigation system.Water from the MountainsTo this day, the oases thrive on the Falaj channels, which carry water from the mountains solely by gravity, without pumps. The Al Ain Oasis alone covers approximately 1,200 hectares and features about 147,000 date palms.Ruling Family and FortsForts like Al Jahili and Qasr Al Muwaiji protected oases and water. In Qasr Al Muwaiji, a residence of Sheikh Zayed, his son Khalifa, the future President of the Emirates, was born in 1948.

Home of the Ruling FamiliesLiwa is considered the birthplace of Abu Dhabi and Dubai's ruling families. The Al Nahyan only moved their seat to the coast of Abu Dhabi in 1793.Dates and AgricultureThe oasis's economy revolves around date cultivation. Every July, the Liwa Dates Festival celebrates the harvest. In 2026, its 22nd edition ran from July 14 to 23, featuring competitions for the best fresh Rutab dates and other fruits.Liwa International FestivalIn winter, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the festival at Tal Moreeb dune, with over 700,000 in 2025/26. It features off-road vehicle hill climbs, concerts, and camping. The next edition is scheduled from December 11, 2026 to January 2, 2027.

From the Watering Hole to the CapitalThe city was founded in 1761 after a hunting party from the Bani Yas tribe discovered freshwater on the coast. An 18th-century watchtower forms the core of Qasr Al Hosn, the city's oldest surviving building. In 1793, the ruling Al Nahyan family moved its seat from the Liwa oasis here, and the fort remained the seat of the ruler and government until 1966.Pearls and OilBefore oil, the city subsisted on pearl diving. In 1958, oil was found offshore in the Umm Shaif field. This wealth swiftly turned the small settlement into a major city.Religion and Visitor RulesThe Sheikh Zayed Mosque, built 1996-2007, is the city's religious hub, open to all. Here, and at the Presidential Palace, a modest dress code is required: covered shoulders and knees; for women in the mosque, also the hair. On Fridays, visitor operations at the mosque cease during midday prayers.