Dubai - Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
Dubai's sparkly reputation is partly enforced by it's numerous souks. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, find it all here.
By Ferne Arfin
In the Nativity story, the three wise men brought precious, ancient gifts from the East to Bethlehem - gold, frankincense and myrrh. Mentioned in the Old Testament too, frankincense and myrrh have been used for sacred perfumes for millennia.
You can still bargain for the gifts of the Magi - along with other unusual treasures - in the traditional souks of Dubai. The gold may have been transformed into fashionable items for modern Europeans. But the frankincense and myrrh are as they were in biblical times, mysterious "tears" of fragrant resin, harvested from desert trees.
A shop window displays elaborate Arabian gold
Many visitors overlook the old souks, bedazzled as they are by Dubai's expanding flotilla of massive mega malls. Those in the know avoid the frenzied consumption and the feeling of being poleaxed by plenty and head instead for Deira, near the mouth of Dubai Creek, for the quiet hum of more traditional commerce.
Starts with the Old Gold Souk, located near the Al Ras bus station. Street addresses are hit and miss in Old Dubai and taxi drivers are likely drop you outside the New Gold Souk, a two story building full of shops. Ask a local to direct you to the Old Gold Souk, around the corner. There, in the dappled shade of a wooden canopy, at least 300 jewellers ply their trade.
Inside the Gold Souk
→ Next Page: Information on where to find the best jewellery
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