In the heart of old Dubai, on the banks of its ancient creek, the Great Souk (Souk Al-Kabeer) has pulsed with continuous life since the 19th century, when Dubai depended on pearl trading and receiving goods on wooden ships coming from the Indian subcontinent and Africa. The actual beginning of the Great Souk in Deira was in 1850, when merchants established their first shops on the creek's banks, making the souk a vibrant commercial center and a witness to Dubai's transformation into a thriving trading city.
Over the decades, the Great Souk witnessed significant expansion in 1935, where shops expanded and the alleys became more organized to cope with the huge increase in commercial activity, reflecting the multicultural spirit of the place, which became part of Dubai's identity since the beginning of the last century.
The Great Souk in Deira extends on the eastern bank of the creek, while the Dubai Museum Souk is located in the historic Al-Fahidi district, near Dubai's fortress and museum, making the visitor's experience a mix of shopping and discovering the city's deep history. The souk's architecture preserves its heritage: walls are built with coral stones, ceilings are wooden, and traditional wind towers (barjeels) ventilate and decorate the alleys as they have for decades.
From a visitor's first steps, they feel as if they have traveled back to the 19th century; the scent of spices fills the air, where "Dowaya" shops display more than 80 types of herbs and spices, mixed with the aromas of agarwood and incense, creating a sensory journey through time. The souk was once a pivotal point for trading spices, fabrics, and jewelry. While the narrow alleways are painted with the colors of traditional fabrics, urns, and Arab clothing, the shops of household items, kitchenware, and copperware extend, reflecting the old daily life of Dubai.
As the visitor approaches the gold and jewelry shops, the jewelry and bracelets sparkle in the shopfronts, reminding them that the Great Souk has been a center for gold trading for many long decades. Visitors from different nationalities stroll alongside citizens and residents, chatting and bargaining, just as it was at the beginning of the 20th century, remaining a space for social coexistence and interaction between cultures.
The Great Souk is not just a place for exchanging goods, but a living record of Dubai's history, a meeting point of cultures, and a platform for interaction between the past and the present. Anyone who walks through the narrow alleys can touch the scent of history and live the authentic spirit of Dubai, as the merchants and visitors have lived it since the distant past until today, in a living scene that combines authenticity, modernity, and human and cultural diversity.
The shops in the souk follow one another, each telling a different story, where the tools and products that carry the scent of history are distributed, as is the case with old copper utensils and handmade wooden spoons, as well as traditional cushions that are piled with warm colors. The visitor feels as if they have entered an old Arab house surrounded by the patterns of the past and the scents of incense and spices.
As the visitor approaches the end of the Great Souk, they feel as if they have completed a journey through time; it is not just a place for shopping only, but a sensory and cultural experience, and a living record of the history of trade and coexistence, where anyone who visits the place can experience the authentic spirit of Dubai and feel the scent of history in every step they take in the narrow alleys.
Development
During the current year, the Great Souk witnessed significant development, with a heritage project to develop three routes inside the heritage markets in Deira, extending 1784 meters. The improvements included restoring the pavements, installing traditional shades, improving the lighting, and renovating heritage elements using traditional plaster, to blend authenticity with modernity and give the visitor a smooth and comfortable experience.
