A peek into the past during DSS 2008 with ‘Dubai as it used to be’ exhibition
Ibn Battuta Mall, a key sponsor of DSS 2008 and a member of Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) will witness an event of a different kind when it hosts the ‘Dubai as it used to be’ exhibition – memories of Dubai over the decades captured through the lens of numerous residents. The exhibition will begin on July 31 and go on till August 7.
The display highlights part of the website of the same name www.dubaiasitusedtobe.com, created by longtime Dubai resident Len Chapman, who came in 1971 to stay for a couple of years but eventually stayed for more than three decades, capturing in the process the growth of Dubai from a fledgling port to the dynamic stature it enjoys today.
Around 120 rare photographs taken by various resident amateur and professional photographers of Dubai’s landmarks and memorable events in the recent history of Dubai are being displayed.
Tshering Idnani, Senior Events Coordinator of Dubai Shopping Festival Office said, “The ‘Dubai as it used to be’ exhibition captures the essence of old Dubai and offers a rare glimpse into some of the major developments that happened in the past 30 years. Like many other events in DSS 2008, this exhibition will be highly entertaining and informative as visitors will be mesmerized by these rare photographs of the past.”
Events like the construction of Al Maktoum Bridge, archive footage of the Dubai Police, Rowing Abras, Wadi Bashing, and the first Airport are featured in the display in addition to rare photographs of people and settlements going back as far as the 1950s.
