The Grand Souk, or Al Souq Al Kabeer, sits under a long stretch of weathered wooden rafters that filter the desert sun into narrow slivers of light. Before the oil boom turned Dubai into a city of steel and glass, this was the primary…
Bur Dubai Temple Alleyways
Wind through the narrow, vibrant alleys of the old Indian quarter behind the historic Grand Souk. This walk covers quiet Hindu temples, shops selling colorful flower garlands, and legendary street-food stalls serving samosas and sweet lassis.
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1. Grand Souk - Bur Dubai
2. Shiva Temple
The Shiva Temple sits behind a heavy iron gate, distinguished by the scent of incense and the sight of marigold garlands draped over its entryway. It serves the Hindu community in Old Dubai, dating back to the nineteen fifties when…
3. Perumal Stores
Perumal Stores sits inside the textile souq with a storefront packed floor to ceiling in stacked rolls of fabric. The shop functions as a primary wholesaler for tailors across the city, keeping bolts of linen, silk, and synthetic blends in…
4. Madhoor Supermarket Al Fahidi Meena Baazar
The Madhoor Supermarket displays a bright, crowded storefront overflowing with sacks of basmati rice, colorful spice packets, and boxes of incense. It stands as a cornerstone for the local Indian expatriate community in Al Fahidi, having…
5. Mangalam Sweets Meena Bazar
Mangalam Sweets stands out in Meena Bazar because of the stainless steel trays stacked high with bright orange jalebis and rows of golden gulab jamun behind the glass. This shop serves the generations of Indian families who settled in Bur…
6. Suleman Usman Mithaiwala Restaurant and Sweets - BurDubai
The yellow neon sign above the entrance spells out Suleman Usman Mithaiwala in bright, blocky letters. This shop serves milk-based sweets made by recipes brought from Mumbai nearly sixty years ago. When Suleman Usman opened these doors in…
7. Sreeraj Lassi Bar
Sreeraj Lassi Bar hides behind a bright yellow sign in the middle of the textile market. For over forty years, the shop has served thick, blended lassis to laborers, shopkeepers, and tourists passing through the narrow lanes. While the…