Historical Documents Centre

titleAbout the Historical Documents Centre:

The Historical Documents Centre is one of Dubai's heritage sites. Its collection, contents and records serve as a memory of Dubai's authenticity and legacy. It is one of the main destinations of the Al-Shindagha District, an area full of museums and heritage centres.

The Historical Documents Centre started out in early 1940's as two historical houses built on two plots of land covering 2,650 sq. ft., owned by Mr. Ali Bin Hazim and Mr. Ahmed Bin Zayed.

In 2016, the Dubai Municipality's Architectural Heritage and Antiquities Department began restoration and rehabilitation of the two houses. They were turned into what is known today as the Historical Documents Centre. The ground floor rooms are used to innovatively display and archive, among others, documents, records, treaties and political, economic and trade agreements. The upper floor rooms are being used as offices for administration, staff and researchers.

The first house consisted of two floors. The ground floor included four rooms and two council halls (liwan), while the upper floor consisted in turn of rooms and a council hall (liwan) that spanned along all rooms. The second historical house consisted of a large central courtyard surrounded by six rooms and two council halls. The first hall was near the entrance and the second on the south-west side of the ground floor. The upper floor included a large room surrounded by the council hall.