Free Things to Do in Abu Dhabi

Standing its ground as the second most expensive city in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi can certainly be a costly place to visit. 

1. Explore the area - Abu Dhabi is rich in sites that allow tourists to gain an insight into the culture of the city. Free guided tours of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world.  The breathtaking mosque sits on land the size of five football fields, whilst the columns shine with marble panels and semi-precious stones.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

2. Shopping - If you can avoid buying anything, shopping in Abu Dhabi can be an interesting free experience, with plenty of souks to explore. The fish market at the mina end of the city can make for a great early morning walk, with the locally caught fish being on display. An Iranian souk can also be found near the fish market, which boasts an interesting range of plants, pots and other homeware items that are brought across the Arabian Gulf to be sold as they are unloaded by Iranians. The gold souk next to Madinat Zayed shopping centre, the carpet souk in the port area and the fruit and vegetable souk close to the Central Post Office on Airport Road give an insight into the daily life and culture of the city. 

Iranian souk

3. Get active - The Jebel Hafeet Mountain is the third largest in the United Arab Emirates, and whilst it has a road from the bottom to the top that you can drive up, it is also possible to walk all the way to the summit of the mountain too. The peak of the mountain offers panoramic views of the country and the walk up provides a mixed range of flora and fauna to admire.

Jebel Hafeet Mountain

4. Appreciate the art - Located in the middle of downtown Abu Dhabi, the Cultural Foundation is the artistic centre of the city. Open daily, the centre has a range of performances to catch with exhibitions and lectures being free. The Manarat Al Saadiyat is an arts and cultural centre that features four gallery spaces that often provide great free exhibitions as well. Showing works by flourishing national and international artists, the Ghaf Gallery is a villa-based gallery that is slowly becoming one of the most established in the city, which can also be explored for free. The Barakat Gallery specialises in ancient art, with displays including antiquities from Africa, Asia and Europe. Whilst every item is on sale for those who wish to make a purchase, the galleries can be explored at no cost. 

Manarat Al Saadiyat

5. Watch a camel race - Taking place in the revolutionary Al Wathba Racetrack stadium every weekend is the highly competitive camel race that locals flock to watch. If you have a 4x4 available, you can join in by driving alongside the camels for the best view. The race is one of the most traditional sports in the United Arab Emirates, however in recent times robots have replaced jockeys, giving the race a futuristic feel. Other races that can be watched for free are the annual dhow races in February, the Red Bull Air Race in March, the powerboating races in November and jet skiing races which take place throughout the year.

 Al Wathba Racetrack

6. Visit the museums - The Emirates National Auto Museum displays one of the world’s most diverse collections of vehicles from giant Range Rovers to Mercedes in every colour of the rainbow, providing a unique visiting experience. Whilst entry is free, occasionally you may be asked for a small donation to enter the museum.

The Emirates National Auto Museum

"Other" Emirates (history, nature, motor racing)

Many of us who have been in the United Arab Emirates, knows this country as a paradise for shopping, a variety technological skyscrapers, beautiful cars and a sunny beach. 

But the Emirates - it's not just shops, skyscrapers and beaches.

Arabs are known for relate to pretty cool history. No, not without respect, and simply cool. They are worth nothing to demolish old houses and build up in their place new district.

Nevertheless, they are not vandals. One example - the coast of Dubai Creek. That is where you can see a real Arab market.

That there stands Al Fahidi Fort - the oldest building in Dubai, which now houses the Dubai Museum. And there is not far from the Fort quarter Bastakya - preserved ancient Arab quarter, now converted into a museum in the open air.

Beige color and elegance of the Arabic engulfs you at once, but in Dubai, many modern houses are built in a beige color and come with a variety of Arabic elements, so that these species have already become more or less familiar.

In the middle of the block stands a pretty snow-white mosque. Every day, as with all the other numerous mosques, with her ​​melodious call of the muezzin sounds.

That's one of the walls of the terrace of the mosque. Pay attention to her. A simple solution that was easy to see from the inside out, as any breeze ventilates the terrace, the reflected sunlight illuminates the entire room, but the direct scorching sun rays penetrate it easy.

Homes built by squares inside almost each of them - courtyard.

On the inside you can climb the stairs to the balcony, who is also the roof of the first floor.

On the balconies, roofs would have these thatched arbor for leisure.

These are the courtyards.

In the Emirates, not a lot of museums, as in European countries. But if the Arabs are taken for something - they do it seriously.

On the shore of Dubai Creek stands the oldest building of the city - Al Fahidi Fort. And in it, or rather its huge cellars arranged an excellent and informative museum about the life of Dubai in the past century.

Before the fort has a real ship-dau (dhow dhau), more precisely one of the existing types of diverse Arab vessel.

But there is in Dubai and another story - the story of nature, so to speak. This swamp Ras Al Khor. Yes, yes, it is a swamp. And right next to Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall.

In fact, it is part of the Dubai Creek, cut the town in two.

Once upon a time in all the banks in the Gulf Emirates lived millions of birds, a variety of flamingos and herons.

But the discovery of oil and the mass transport of maritime transport, urban growth and development of ports devastated coast these shores.

And that's just on the swamp was a piece of unspoiled nature.

Swamp carefully protected by the state and available for those interested in a totally free.

Also, there are telescopes and binoculars, so you can watch the birds.

History - that's good. But Emirates is also a sport country.

Highly developed different outdoor activities.

Known only in the Middle East, ski runs, and in the shopping center "Mall of Emirates"

Despite the small waves in the Gulf, one can often see the surfers.

Conquer there and the blue sky

Arabs, Italians and many others play football.

They generally highly developed amateur sports.

United Arab Emirates - it is also a car-to-country. Excellent roads, low gas prices and vehicle make Emirates a paradise for car lovers.

Here you can find all car brands. Sport, sport utility vehicles and prestigious ...

In addition to the desert and mountain terrain, Emirates interesting and motorsport fans.

In Jebel Ali, next to kartodroma spread impromptu motocross track.

Also in Dubai, there are a few go-cart track.

Here at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi competitions in drag racing

There are also other championships, for example, GP2, Porsche Mobil-1, as well as Porsche GT3 Middle East

But most importantly, in Abu Dhabi, held one of the stages of "the queen of motorsport '- Formula 1

Caesarea. First sight.

Very, very long time (about the middle of III century BC) to the shore blue Mediterranean Sea came the Phoenicians. They built a small settlement, called it the Tower of Straton and about 200 years lived peacefully and happily under the rule of the Persians at first, and then the Greeks. Plundered a little, trading and fishing. In general, behaved like all decent people of the Mediterranean.

But happiness is not eternal, and in the II century BC settlement took the king and high priest Alexander Jannaeus, who as much as 30 years have included it in the Hasmonean kingdom. Even after several decades in the places the Roman general Pompey looked and won the Tower of Straton, along with the rest of Judea. As time went on, the concept of nation-building in the Roman Empire changed in 31 BC Octavian emperor of Rome, the Jewish settlement in August gave King Herod - the same one who was going to be Great. Everyone has a dream. A dream of Herod the Great was a port city, the best in the Mediterranean. And in 10 BC it will become a small village into a major port city, named in honor of (what a surprise!) of Emperor Augustus - Caesarea. Well, and, accordingly, was in this city, as noted by Josephus, the remarkable beauty and magnitude of the Temple of Augustus, with its colossal statue, is not inferior to his model of the Olympic Zeus.

Lighthouse, a large harbor surrounded by walls with breakwaters, wharves and quays, warehouses, shops, temples, and the racetrack, the streets paved with stone slabs and fountains, sculptures and gardens, aqueducts and urban sewage.  In this city was all. No wonder after the death of Herod, Caesarea became the administrative center of the Rome prosecutor in the West and the base of the Roman legions. From there they went to suppress the revolt of the Jews, and here the prisoners were brought to punishment, and sales. And it was after the defeat of Jerusalem, Caesarea became the capital of Palestine.

Today the National Park Reserve, Caesarea, are active archaeological digs. A considerable part of them is under water. Theatre. Was built during the reign of Herod the king, and acted for hundreds of years, until the Byzantine era. The theater has two tiers and has approximately 4,000 seats. Behind the scenes perfectly positioned wall design, which relied on the column, the height of three stories and was the backdrop for the stage.

Palace on the reef. It is ruins of a beautiful palace with a swimming pool in its western part, which belongs to the Byzantine and Roman eras. Scientists believe that the pool was used as an urban fish market.

Amphitheater of King Herod. The building, which is intended for public amusements, with tiers of the arena and, in the form of an elongated U. The amphitheater was built in the days of Herod, and intended for entertainment performances and sports competitions, chariot races in Roman times. First, the building consisted of twelve rows and seats, and can hold more than 10,000 spectators.

The complex of buildings common bath. A very large complex and luxuriously decorated. Baths were constructed on the site of Herod's amphitheater, and even in their ruins can be seen the importance of baths in the Empire.

Administrative and economic area. The southern part of the construction of the Byzantine and Roman eras. A large part built on arches, which were intended for storage.