Friday 25th January 2008
Day 7: Madinat Jumeirah & Ibn Battutah Mall
Today we took a bus to Madinat Jumeirah, and like last time we took a few more photos outside the Burj Al Arab before going next door to the indoor souk. This time the place looked slightly busier but still not packed. The traders seemed to have more of a spring in their step and even used one or two of their well-rehearsed sales pitches. These were naturally wasted on us. However, we did part with some Dirhams on a souvenir book, acquired from a quiet bookstore, where there wasn’t a pushy salesperson in sight.
We took the time to explore more of the complex, taking in the views of the lovely Arabian architecture. We took a stroll near to the water’s edge where the abras glide peacefully along and admired the Madinat Jumeriah Beach Resorts from a distance. All the architecture in the complex has been styled in the same way and blend in nicely. It really feels like you’ve been transported back in time.
It was a nice sunny day and the stroll was very relaxing. We walked past many outdoor eateries, all near to the water’s edge. This was where all the people had got to, eating lunch and enjoying the sunshine outside. The food looked nice and we must have passed six or seven waterside restaurants before settling on one, the Meat Company, with good views of the Burj Al Arab. They only had one table left and it was a little out of the way but we could still see the Burj at a distance. Ian managed to take a photo of a helicopter taking off from this famous hotel from here. Apparently, the hotel offers a helicopter shuttle service from the airport costing a mere 9,000 Dirhams (£1,350)!
Me and Ian back at Madinat Jumeirah again, in front of Burj Al Arab.
Tiredness set in after a lovely late lunch and we decided to have a coffee at Starbucks before heading off. Starbucks is located at the other side of the souk, near the front entrance, and the comfy seating area is just below the outdoor steps. The sun was low at this point and I spotted an old couple sat on a red sofa, making the most of the sun’s weak rays. I think they might have been sneaking forty winks.
Ian taking a break on the steps at Madinat Jumeirah with a Starbucks.
With our batteries fully re-charged, we hopped on another bus and headed in a westerly direction toward the Ibn Battuta Shopping Centre. We passed Dubai Media City before heading down the Sheikh Saeed Road (this is a very long road that runs throughout Dubai and actually carries on all the way to Abu Dhabi). The amount of new development taking place along both sides of this road, leading up to the shopping mall, is a real eye opener. There are lots of new sky-scrapers being built – I haven’t seen so many futuristic-looking buildings constructed one after the other in quick succession, lined up on such a large stretch of road. It’s going to look stunning once finished.
While there are many immaculate shopping centres in Dubai, the one that stands out the most in my opinion is the Ibn Battuta. It is more of a work of art than a shopping mall! Themed with six different zones to represent six geographical areas, it is based on some of the countries travelled by the 14th century scholar, Ibn Battuta. Apparently he travelled 75,000 miles over 30 years and after walking from one end of the mall to the other, you get an idea how he must have felt!
The Tunisia Court section of Ibn Battuta Mall.
Each area is colour-coded; there is an Andalusia Court, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China courts. Each court is distinct but the style of décor is not tied in with the selection of shops. You can find the ubiquitous Debenhams store in the Persia court, say. Talking of British chain stores, there seemed to be many over here, including H&M, Boots, Peacocks, Topshop etc. They offered the same selection of clothes as the UK and were roughly the same price (if not slightly more expensive). This is why we didn’t go mad on the shopping front, as there was little point really.
The dome in the Persian Court.
Ian looking dumb-struck by the decoration. Or just dumb ;-)
The décor is definitely very intricate in Ibn Battatu. There is a replica of Alhambra’s Fountain of the Lions in the Andalusia Court, the Tunisia Court has been designed to resemble a 14th century North African marketplace, there are palm trees and walls covered in hieroglyphics in the Egyptian court, a very impressive mosaic covered dome and walls in the Persia court, a statue of a full-sized elephant in the India Court and a full-sized junk in the China court. There was even a dancing performance laid on when we were in the India court, which was loud, colourful and eye-catching. We took numerous photos in each section. The amount of detail and money that must have been spent on this building is phenomenal and in my opinion worth every Dirham, as it has added to this shopper’s experience!
A Chinese junk sitting inside the Chinese Court section of the mall.