Tag - Architecture

AL HAMRA (قرية الحمراء)

Just a few kilometers away from our service point and truck storage garage lies the abandoned village of Al Hamra. With roots in the 16th century, it is one of the UAE’s oldest and best-preserved coastal villages. Its people mainly subsisted on fishing and pearling until they picked...

AL GHAT (الغاط)

We stopped at Old Deira Al Ghat Heritage Village, around 250 kilometers from Riyadh. It is situated on the northern bank of the Wadi Al-Ghat and stretches over 1,5 kilometers. It is one of the largest traditional villages in Saudi Arabia in the Najdi style. There is a museum located in...

MANSOUR PALACE (قصر منصور)

We made another crazy stop in Saudi Arabia and hope it is the last one on this trip. We followed the road trip guide and arrived at Al Mansour Palace in Al Awsajiyah. Unfortunately, it’s just a ruin, and sadly, we did not find any information about this tiny forgotten palace...

UYUN AL JAWA (عيون الجواء)

We didn’t expect much from this stop, but to our surprise, we found a lovely old town with a collection of old mud houses built with adobe, clay, and mud. Most of them were completely demolished, but some survived the rain torrents and were renovated. Parking location – Uyun...

DUBAI MARINA

We loved Dubai’s southernmost district, brimming with luxurious beachfront resorts, restaurants, and some of the city’s most glamorous see-and-be-seen nightclubs. Daytime, we strolled along the Dubai Marina waterfront; we enjoyed The Walk at JBR and, of course, The Beach at...

DUBAI GLOBAL VILLAGE

We encounter the world at the deliciously kitschy Global Village (🎟️23 AED). The carnival-like Global Village is like a “world fair” for shoppers. Each of the 35-something pavilions spread over a massive space showcases a specific nation’s culture and products. Aside...

DUBAI BURJ KHALIFA

We parked in the garages of Souk Al Bahar, where the first few hours were free. Then we walked to the lake with great views of Burj Khalifa. It is a stunning feat of architecture and engineering, with two observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors and a restaurant on the 122nd. The...

DUBAI BURJ AL ARAB

It’s challenging to take photos of Dubai’s most iconic hotel and a global icon of Arabian luxury. You can explore it from the private beach in front of the hotel or the boat. You can also visit the hotel on a guided tour or book a room there. We wandered around Souk Al...

DUBAI FRAME

In the late afternoon, we made a stop at Zabeel Park (🅿️10 AED,🎟️5 AED) to walk around and take photos of a 150m rectangular “picture frame.” It opened in January 2018, right between historic and modern Dubai, and provides grand views of both parts of the city. But we could...

SHAQRA (شقراء)

The historic courtyards of Shaqra’s heritage village feature beautiful triangular windows, roofs, and ornately carved wooden doors. We strolled around the old market and its traditional shops before our drive to Riyadh.
Parking location – Shaqra: 25.255977N 45.254603E