About Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
The lanes of Al Fahidi are so narrow that two people carrying shopping bags have to agree who goes first. Persian merchants began building the houses in the 1890s, and the neighborhood's old name, Bastakiya, comes from Bastak, a town in southern Iran. Above the low buildings rise the barjeel, wind towers that were residents' answer to the summer heat.
The neighborhood once had about 60 houses. Half were knocked down in the 1980s to make way for offices; the rest were saved only after a preservation campaign. Restored from 2005, the courtyards now house galleries, the Coffee Museum, with live roasting and brewing, and the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding.
