History of Dubai
Channel: Zen
Date: 2023-12-11

#historia #dubai #dubailife #dubaicity 
The earliest documented reference to Dubai, known as Dibei, can be attributed to Muhammad al-Idrisi, who charted the UAE coast in the tenth century AD. Around 1580, Gasparo Balbi, the state jeweler of Venice, provided an account of Dubai's pearling industry and that of other cities within the present-day UAE territory. Despite its traditional conservatism, the UAE stands out as one of the more liberal nations in the Gulf, generally tolerating diverse cultures and beliefs. Politically, it maintains an authoritarian system, and tensions persist with neighboring Iran due to an ongoing territorial dispute over Gulf islands. The UAE was among the three countries recognizing Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

Before the discovery of oil in the 1950s, the UAE's economy relied on fishing and a declining pearl industry. However, since the commencement of oil exports in 1962, the country has undergone a profound transformation in both society and economy. The UAE has diversified into a regional trading and tourism hub, marked by significant foreign investments by UAE firms. During the expansion of Sheikh Zayed Road between 1993 and 1998, remnants of a mangrove swamp dating back to around 7000 BCE were uncovered. It is believed that by approximately 3000 BCE, the coastline had shifted seaward, and the area became covered in sand.

As the region became more habitable, nomadic cattle herders settled and grazed in the area. The cultivation of date palms began around 2500 BCE, marking the first use of the land for agricultural purposes. The herders worshipped the god Bajir, and various pieces of evidence suggest connections to the mysterious Magan civilization, believed to have controlled the copper trade in this part of the ancient world, with archaeological sites found in Bahrain.

For the subsequent 2000–2700 years, there is a lack of detailed information, likely due to factors such as desertification, insignificance, and remoteness of the area. Eventually, the region became part of the "Maka" satrapy, the southernmost satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire, and later, the Sassanian Empire, the last pre-Islamic Iranian Empire, in the 3rd century CE. Recent excavations in the Jumeirah area of Dubai have revealed a 6th-century caravan station, suggesting sparse inhabitation during this period.