I had been googling for arabic lamps - I am fascinated by them but unfortunately outside of Egypt, Turkey and Morracco, haven't really found any that stood out. I know you get enough of the coloured kitschy stuff, but that's not what I was looking for. I wanted something different and beautifully crafted and finished.
Anyways, am deviating, was googling when I came across a site called "Dubai Shopping secrets" which talked about a place called Antique Museum. It talked about a place where you could get very reasonable lamps, curios etc at a fraction of the price elsewhere. Decided it was worth a visit. Clearly many expats before me have obviously discovered the place, cos a search on Antique Museum threw up tons of responses and it was fairly easy to find the place.
In AL Quoz, behind Times Square mall, the place is quite easy to find (see directions below). Located in a warehouse, the entrance is piled high with wooden furniture and artefacts of all kinds. In act, the security office is a cute little pergola cum gazebo rolled into one!
You walk into a nicely lit room with easy sofas etc, when a young lady in uniform walks up, and asks you if its your first time and if you have been here before tec.. and then you are handed a shopping bag and gently ushered towards a huge thick wooden door - much like Simsim except here the magic words are "shop till you drop" , lol!
It's a bit like being in Alladin's cave - one small narrow room leads into another...stocking all kinds of little curios - brass figure, small lamps, cloth camels, the UAE sands frame etc.. as you enter the narow corridor its eerily light up with red light, I guess to enhance the impression of a cave full of treasure!
There are some quirky things like the arabic equivalent of the Russian Matryoshka dolls! Except in this case, they were in the shape of an arab in his galabeya or I found one very cute one of a woman with a hijab.
Another "cave" is full of all sorts of brass stuff priced between Dhs 20-Dhs 60...and larger pieces of course slightly more expensive. There are brass sheesha lamps, castanets, Aladin's lamps etc..
The place is nice to pick up some gimmicky stuff to gift as a token of UAE, but most of it is interesting junk! :-))
The two things that I did find interesting were the coloured glass lamps hanging from the ceiling...
... and the faux traditional Indian jewellery... there were chunky rustic pieces which I wouldn't mind wearing to accesorize something or to frame and put up on my wall...
They also have a huge framing section with some interesting framing done for artefacts. That's actually a must visit section, especially if you have artefacts to frame. One of the most common ready frames are the Omani daggers which have been beautifully framed. At about Dhs 300-400 they're are marginally cheaper than what you would get at a Lifestyle etc..
Though I didn't end up buying anything other than a Matryoshka doll - I must admit I was a lil dissapointed.
I guess I was looking for something more exotic but honestly, it's a good place to take visitors and to pick up some UAE curios for gifting at reasonable prices. The wooden furniture outside has some spectacular pieces including a couple of lovely wooden doors which I eyed rather wistfully but since I rent a place, it shall remain a desire.....
Directions: Take exit 43 when you are coming from Bur Dubai, take the bridge, past Times Square. At the signal, turn left, turn right at the second right, and then right again when you see a big tree and a small restaurant. You will see the Antique Museum on the right side!
Telephone: +971 4 3479935
Anyways, am deviating, was googling when I came across a site called "Dubai Shopping secrets" which talked about a place called Antique Museum. It talked about a place where you could get very reasonable lamps, curios etc at a fraction of the price elsewhere. Decided it was worth a visit. Clearly many expats before me have obviously discovered the place, cos a search on Antique Museum threw up tons of responses and it was fairly easy to find the place.
In AL Quoz, behind Times Square mall, the place is quite easy to find (see directions below). Located in a warehouse, the entrance is piled high with wooden furniture and artefacts of all kinds. In act, the security office is a cute little pergola cum gazebo rolled into one!
You walk into a nicely lit room with easy sofas etc, when a young lady in uniform walks up, and asks you if its your first time and if you have been here before tec.. and then you are handed a shopping bag and gently ushered towards a huge thick wooden door - much like Simsim except here the magic words are "shop till you drop" , lol!
It's a bit like being in Alladin's cave - one small narrow room leads into another...stocking all kinds of little curios - brass figure, small lamps, cloth camels, the UAE sands frame etc.. as you enter the narow corridor its eerily light up with red light, I guess to enhance the impression of a cave full of treasure!
There are some quirky things like the arabic equivalent of the Russian Matryoshka dolls! Except in this case, they were in the shape of an arab in his galabeya or I found one very cute one of a woman with a hijab.
Another "cave" is full of all sorts of brass stuff priced between Dhs 20-Dhs 60...and larger pieces of course slightly more expensive. There are brass sheesha lamps, castanets, Aladin's lamps etc..
The place is nice to pick up some gimmicky stuff to gift as a token of UAE, but most of it is interesting junk! :-))
The two things that I did find interesting were the coloured glass lamps hanging from the ceiling...
... and the faux traditional Indian jewellery... there were chunky rustic pieces which I wouldn't mind wearing to accesorize something or to frame and put up on my wall...
They also have a huge framing section with some interesting framing done for artefacts. That's actually a must visit section, especially if you have artefacts to frame. One of the most common ready frames are the Omani daggers which have been beautifully framed. At about Dhs 300-400 they're are marginally cheaper than what you would get at a Lifestyle etc..
Though I didn't end up buying anything other than a Matryoshka doll - I must admit I was a lil dissapointed.
I guess I was looking for something more exotic but honestly, it's a good place to take visitors and to pick up some UAE curios for gifting at reasonable prices. The wooden furniture outside has some spectacular pieces including a couple of lovely wooden doors which I eyed rather wistfully but since I rent a place, it shall remain a desire.....
Directions: Take exit 43 when you are coming from Bur Dubai, take the bridge, past Times Square. At the signal, turn left, turn right at the second right, and then right again when you see a big tree and a small restaurant. You will see the Antique Museum on the right side!
Telephone: +971 4 3479935
