Al Bastakiya

Houses and narrow lanes in Al Bastakiya.

Al Bastakiya (Arabic: البستكية) is a historic district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Together with Al Shindagha, Al Bastakiya is one of the oldest residential areas in the city of Dubai. Al Bastakiya is named after the Bastak region of Iran, from where many of the residents emigrated. The emigrants are mostly Arabs that have migrated to Iran throughout history, then moved back to Arabia later. The locality lies along Dubai Creek and includes narrow lanes and wind towers, as well as the Al Fahidi Fort, the oldest existing building in Dubai.

The construction of Al Bastakiya dates back to the 1890s. In its prime, the locality was capable of supporting 60 housing units, most of which were separated by narrow, winding lanes. Traditionally a stronghold of rich residents, the demographic of the locality changed with the discovery of oil, which resulted in many rich families relocating to other parts of the city. As a result, expatriate families moved into Al Bastakiya and the Al Souk Al Kabir area (referred to as Meena bazaar by immigrant residents).

A project aimed at restoring the locality's old buildings and lanes was initiated by Dubai Municipality in 2005.

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What makes Al Bastakiya unique is its architectures. The barjeel, which is the wind tower, is in every house of Al Bastakiya. The more barjeel each house has indicates the wealthier the family is. Moreover, the door of the houses are related to cultural behaviors for example the main door of the house is large where as the inner door is short, and this is because when men entering the house they should bend down not facing the ladies directly.