Al Seef
 A wind tower house in Al Seef (2022) | |
| Location | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 25°15′54″N 55°18′13″E / 25.265094538009727°N 55.30362401211394°E |
| Groundbreaking | 2012 |
| Opening | 2017 |
| Use | Waterfront |
| Companies | |
| Developer | Meraas |
Al Seef (Arabic: السيف, romanized: al sayf) or Al Seef Khor is a 1.8 km waterfront promenade along the bank of Dubai Creek in the Al Fahidi neighborhood of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[1][2]
History
[edit]The promenade was developed by Dubai-based real estate company Meraas and its construction was completed in 2017.[3][4]
Reception
[edit]Cristiano Luchetti, an associate professor at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, views the Al Seef development as a historically inaccurate extension of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. According to Luchetti, Al Seef layout departs from the original narrow alleyways called Sikka traditionally seen in Bur Dubai. Luchetti describes the development as a form of "historical fraud" based on a critical interpretation of the usage of components taken from the features of the local architecture of Dubai without sufficient interpretative key and the use of artificially aged finishes and materials.[5]
Marieh Mustafa Sharaf, an urban planner and researcher at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, criticized the project for undermining heritage preservation efforts by presenting an inauthentic version of traditional architecture. She highlighted the use of artificial aging techniques that misrepresent Dubai's historical wind tower houses, while the modern section of the development mimics generic real estate designs, leading to architectural confusion among visitors unfamiliar with authentic Emirati heritage.[3]
Gallery
[edit]-
Al Seef Heritage Market -
Al Fanar Seafood Restaurant -
Al Seef Heritage Market -
Chokhi Dhani Indian Restaurant -
Al Seef Heritage Market -
Old Typewriters in Al Seef
References
[edit]- ^ Maspul, Kurniawan Arif (2021-01-01). "The Contemporary Heritage as an Identity of the Nation's Local Wisdom; A Study of Dubai's Al Seef Khor". Academia Letters.
- ^ Gokulan, Dhanusha. "Ramadan tents, indoor sports and quiz: A list of must-visit events to catch in the last week of holy month". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- ^ a b Sharaf, Marieh Mustafa (2022-05-15). "Behind the Skyscrapers: An Assessment of Dubai's Cultural and Creative Scene". Proceedings of the International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism-ICCAUA. 5 (1): 542–553. doi:10.38027/ICCAUA2022EN0020. ISBN 9786057100627. S2CID 249933388.
- ^ Shahbandari, Shafaat (23 October 2017). "Al Seef: Where old Dubai meets the new". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- ^ Luchetti, Cristiano (January 2019). "DUBAI WALK-IN CITY". ANANKE: 124-128.