Now here's something you don't see hardly at all in glitzy new Dubai: a genuinely old landmark. Built as a defensive fortification starting in 1787, since 1971 it has housed the Dubai Museum, dedicated to documenting the emirates'  traditional way of life, and it anchors an old town, also called Al-Fahidi, that's a far cry from the shining towers and highways that have sprung up since the oil boom of the late 20th century.

(A.Savin)