Women's Museum Bait Al Banat: Heritage and Emirati Poetry
Why is it significant?
Pause before the modest exterior of Bait Al Banat, which translates poetically to 'The House of the Girls'. Founded in 2012 by pioneering Emirati psychiatrist and scholar Dr.
Key Facts
| Place | Women's Museum Bait Al Banat: Heritage and Emirati Poetry |
|---|---|
| Address | Old Gold Souk, Al Sabkha, 28th St, Deira, Dubai, UAE |
| Geo Coordinates | 25.27180, 55.29870 |
| Part of Walk | Dubai: Deira Souks, Spices and Historic Dhow Wharfage |
| Generated | Generated |
Pause before the modest exterior of Bait Al Banat, which translates poetically to 'The House of the Girls'. Founded in 2012 by pioneering Emirati psychiatrist and scholar Dr. Rafia Ghubash, this three-story cultural museum is the first institution in the Arab world dedicated exclusively to women's history. The building stands on the site of an original 1950s residential home where three unmarried Emirati sisters lived independently, giving the location its affectionate neighborhood name. Inside, the museum reveals the profound, often overlooked leadership roles that Emirati women have played in politics, commerce, education, and literature throughout regional history.
On the second floor, enter the luminous gallery dedicated to Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi, widely revered as 'Fatat Al Arab', or The Girl of the Arabs. Regarded as the greatest Nabati poet of the twentieth century, Ousha composed verse of extraordinary linguistic complexity that inspired generations, including the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. Her personal handwritten poetry notebooks, handwritten letters, and recordings of her recitations are reverently preserved here alongside contemporary artistic interpretations of her work.
The historical exhibits dismantle common Western misconceptions about the historical isolation of Gulf women. Archival records dating back to the nineteenth century prove that Emirati women actively owned pearl-fishing dhows, financed international trading caravans, operated market stalls, and managed vast agricultural date estates while men were at sea. Displays of traditional burqas (gold-colored face masks made of stiffened indigo cloth) demonstrate how these iconic garments functioned as elegant personal adornments and protection from desert winds.
Look closely at the golden burqas on display: their metallic sheen does not come from gold paint, but from vigorous hand-rubbing with smooth glass stones over organic indigo dye.
Walk east along 28th Street for about four hundred meters toward the bustling fabric stalls of Naif Souk.