Dubai | The Souks

The Souks of Dubai wind around the historic heart of the city.

Much of Dubai feels like a giant, shiny Disney World for adults. The Souks seem to hold more depth. Though they themselves are not ancient, they remind you that there was a culture here before the giant shopping malls or overwhelming sky scrapers.

We wandered through the stalls, looking at the shops that are occasionally pierced by a small museum or tourist exhibit. I was transfixed by the triangular coverings that stretched across the narrow alleys. They throw a geometric print across much of the neighborhood that adds to the other-worldness of the Souks.

The Souks are full of color and vibrant patterns. Bins of spices or shelves stacked high with fabric catch your eye. The walls of this shop were stacked from top to bottom, and the lively image begged to be captured.

In the afternoon we drove over to the Fish & Produce Souks. Though we didn’t need anything besides a little fruit, we took our time combing through the Fish Souk, caught up in the thousand tiny details that buzz around you like the flies the vendors desperately try to keep away.

It was a quiet afternoon in the Produce Souk, strikingly different from the Fish Souk next door. Vendors sat quietly, lost in thought next to their goods.

To travel across the canal you can catch a water taxi. They give you yet another perspective of this complex and unique city.

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