Page 38 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Dubai & Abu Dhabi

36 ❯❯ The Top 10 of Everything

Culture and Tradition

in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
You can ride a camel at
the Heritage and Diving
Village in Dubai (see p66).
Fishing and
4
the Dhow
Historically, fishing, pearl
diving and building dhow
(boats) were the main
occupa tions along the
coastal settlements.
Today, Emiratis still use
the old wooden dhow
boats for fishing, trading
An Emirati man training a falcon and tours. Visit dhow-
building wharfs in Deira (see p61).
Falconry
1 Bedouin Society
In the past, falcons were used
The seminomadic lifestyle of
by Bedu to capture small birds and 5
hares. Today, Emirati men still train the Bedu tribes – most of whom
their falcons daily. Some desert spent the harsh summers inland at
resorts and safaris have falconry the cool date-palm oases and their
displays (see p33). winters fishing by the sea – is a
source of pride for Emiratis. Visit the
Traditional Dress
2 Heritage Villages in Dubai (see p66)
Women wear a black abaya
and Abu Dhabi (see p92) for a
(a cloak-like dress) and a black shayla glimpse into the Bedouin culture.
(scarf) to cover their hair. Men wear
Poetry, Dance and Song
a white dishdasha (robe) and a white 6
or checked gutra (head scarf) with a Emirati poetry takes many
black agal (cord) to hold it in place. forms, from the romantic baiti style
to the vernacular nabati poetry.
The Camel
3 Wedding processions are an occasion
for song and dance. Songs and group
A mainstay of the Bedouin’s
nomadic life, the camel enabled dances such as the ayyalah and
Bedouin tribes to move their liwa celebrate bravery in war and at
possessions from coastal villages to sea. Enjoy traditional performances
inland oases. Camel’s milk quenched at the Heritage and Diving Village
their herders’ thirst when water (see p66) and in Downtown Dubai
wasn’t found, while the fur was used during Eid and the Dubai Shopping
to make tents, textiles, rugs, bags Festival (see p39).
and cloaks. Camel’s milk is more
The Arabian Horse
nutritious than cow’s milk, and you 7
can buy it at local super markets Beloved by the Bedouin for
their elegance and valued
for their strength and
sturdiness, the Arabian
horse is one of the world’s
oldest and purest of breeds due
to the Bedouin’s careful breeding.
Camel with a bright saddle blanket
Eyewitness Travel – Top 10 series LAYERS PRINTED:
Two-column, 8.5pt grid “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v.1.9)
036-037_Top_10_Dubai.indd 36 17/05/2017 12:54
Date 24th June 2015
Size 100mm x 191mm