Bur Dubai is a historic district in Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...

, located on the western side of the Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek or Khor Dubai is a saltwater creek located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates . It ends at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Some sources say that the creek extended as far inland as Al Ain, and that the Ancient Greeks called it River Zara. Historically, the creek divided the city into two...

. The name literally translates to Mainland Dubai, a reference to the traditional separation of the Bur Dubai area from Deira

Deira, Dubai

Deira is an area in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates bordered by the Persian Gulf, Sharjah and Dubai Creek. Historically, it has been the center of Dubai, but has been losing its importance during the past few decades due to recent development along E 11 road and areas further down the...

 by the Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek or Khor Dubai is a saltwater creek located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates . It ends at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Some sources say that the creek extended as far inland as Al Ain, and that the Ancient Greeks called it River Zara. Historically, the creek divided the city into two...

. This is because Bur Dubai historically consisted of all districts between the western bank of the Creek and Jumeirah

Jumeirah

Jumeirah literally means "beautiful." It is a coastal residential area in Dubai, United Arab Emirates mainly comprising low rise private dwellings. It is administratively divided into three neighborhoods titled "Jumeirah 1," Jumeirah 2" and "Jumeirah 3." It has both expensive and large detached...

. The Ruler's Court is located in the district adjacent to the Grand Mosque.

The district is home to several mosques including the Grand Mosque with the city's tallest minaret

Minaret

A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....

, and the blue tiled Iranian Mosque. The city's only Hindu Temple

Hindu Temple, Dubai

Hindu Temple, Dubai is a temple complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates . The temple caters to the large Hindu community in the United Arab Emirates and is the only Hindu temple in that country...

 is situated between the Grand Mosque and the Creek.

It is home to several popular places for tourists including renovated historic buildings and museums. The district is full of shopping streets and souqs (or souk), including the textile souq near the abra

Abra (boat)

An abra is a traditional boat made of wood, used to transport people across Dubai Creek in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A medium-sized single-engine craft with a capacity of about 20 passengers, it is driven by a single operator from a cockpit stepped in the center of the hull...

 boat station, though most of the well known souqs are located in Deira.

Historic area

The Al Bastakiya

Al Bastakiya

Al Bastakiya is a historic district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates . Together with Al Shindagha, Al Bastakiya is one of the oldest residential areas in the city of Dubai. Al Bastakiya is named after the Bastak region of Iran, from where many of the residents emigrated. The emigrants are mostly...

 historic area is located to the east of Al Fahidi Fort (now home to Dubai Museum

Dubai Museum

Dubai Museum is the main museum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is located in the Al Fahidi Fort , built in 1787 and is the oldest existing building in Dubai....

) and features old courtyard housing which are identifiable with their wind towers

Wind Towers

The Wind Towers is a complex of two towers in Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The two towers, Wind Tower 1 and Wind Tower 2, both consist of 38 floors but are 139 m and 137 m respectively. The towers are under construction and are expected to be completed in 2010 or early...

. Shindagha to the north west, located between Bur Dubai, the creek and the sea is the historic location of the ruler's house on the peninsula facing the sea and the creek.

Modern developments

As of 2008, work was being undertaken to extend Dubai Creek back to the sea, turning Bur Dubai into an island. Bur Dubai is a popular living area consisting of a lot of building apartments.

The Dubai Metro

Dubai Metro

The Dubai Metro is a driverless, fully automated metro network in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. The Red Line and Green Line are operational, with three further lines are planned. These first two lines run underground in the city centre and on elevated viaducts elsewhere...

Red Line goes through Bur Dubai connecting with the airport.