Museum of the Poet Al Oqaili

About this place

The Museum of the Poet Al Oqaili occupies the Deira residence of Mubarak Al Oqaili, a classical Arabic poet active in the early twentieth century. Manuscripts, personal belongings and the decorated house connect literary history with the merchant neighbourhood in which poets, scholars and traders circulated. A visitor can use the collections to connect individual objects with larger changes in Emirati life: oasis farming, pearling, dhow trade, household work, education, government and the transition after oil. Read dates and provenances closely and compare reconstructions with original artefacts, photographs and oral testimony. This makes the museum useful historical evidence rather than a display of attractive antiques. Exhibitions and opening arrangements can change, so check the official venue information before planning a journey.