There’s something so satisfying about wandering through Old Dubai’s souqs. While I don’t enjoy people constantly trying to sell me pashminas and perfumes I don’t need, I do love the vibrant atmosphere and the promise of new, quirky knick-knacks around every corner.
The noise, the bustle and the fragrant smell of spices that waft through Deira make me feel connected to this city's culture in a way that no five-star hotel or downtown excursion ever could.
The fact you have to walk through all this to get to the Museum of the Poet Al Oqaili is what makes it a must-visit in my books.
Enter the shaded marketplace of Grand Souq Deira and step off the main thoroughfare, making your way through winding, narrow alleyways. In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere shifts and there’s a sense of calm as it gets quieter and cooler. You can just imagine how this offered the ideal setting for a man now considered one of the most prominent classical poets in Khaleeji history.
Mubarak bin Hamad bin Mubarak Al Manea Al Oqaili was born in 1875 in Saudi Arabia but later moved to Dubai, where he lived until his death in 1954. The museum we see today was once his home, a traditional residence built in Al Ras in 1923 from materials such as coral stone, palm tree trunks and sarooj, a traditional water-resistant mortar essential to construction across the Emirates.
It also features ornately carved teak doors and wooden-beamed ceilings. Al Oqaili brought skilled builders from the Al Ahsa region in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province to construct the house, also incorporating artistic designs rooted in traditional Arabian architecture that give the structure a unique historical value.
It's bigger than you might imagine, despite its unassuming entrance hidden down Deira’s back alleys. It's set over two floors, each of the rooms surrounding an internal courtyard that, like the rest of the house, has been lovingly and carefully restored over the years by Dubai Culture, which now runs the museum. As I enter, one of the friendly staff members offers me gahwa (Arabic coffee), which I can sip while making my way through the rooms.
The museum is split into nine wings, where you can learn more about the poet’s life, his Nabataean-style poetry, his correspondence, his cultural and social life, and his manuscripts. There’s also a section dedicated to the restoration of the house, a couple of majlis areas and a room with walls covered with writings about Al Oqaili, in case you were in any doubt about his influence.
It’s light, cool and airy inside, and there’s only one other group of people exploring when I arrive, so I mostly have the place to myself. I take my time reading each of the plaques, which reveal more about the poet’s life and his importance in society. They also feature some of his poems, many translated into English. Display cases contain valuable objects, such as original poems in Al Oqaili’s handwriting, a quill, a gun, Persian rugs and even a collection of his china plates.
It takes me no more than 30 minutes to (slowly) make my way round, so this museum is perhaps not a destination in itself. But it makes a perfect pit stop when touring other attractions in the area, such as the nearby Gold Souq, Spice Souq and Bait Al Banat Women’s Museum. Overall, the Museum of the Poet Al Oqaili offers a tranquil respite in a busy area and a glimpse into the life of one of the region’s most popular 20th century literary luminaries.
