As one of the most visually stunning and technologically developed cities in the world, the Dubai travel industry has very little to fear when going up against the other major cities worldwide in terms of attractions and style. Much of the publicity in the shopping sector of this stunning city goes to the two mega malls that have their home here, the Dubai mall and Mall of the Emirates. But if you are impressed by things other than scale, then the Ibn Battuta mall may be even more impressive than either of these, due to its fascinating layout which incorporates six courts dedicated to regions of the world visited by the legendary explorer whose name the mall bears.
Those six areas are, in alphabetical order: Andalusia; China; Egypt; India; Persia; and Tunisia. As these areas suggest, all of the major shopping chain outlets found in the Middle East are also present in the Ibn Battuta mall, along with an esoteric choice of other locations recognizable to shoppers from Europe, the US and Australia with other outlets planned. What really separates the Ibn Battuta mall from others in the region is its architectural diversity.
Aside from the shopping experience offered, the Mall has something of a “museum” feel to it. Far from just being a place to shop, it makes an important contribution to the Dubai travel sector by being a place to see manufacturing developments from the ages including a real rarity – a full-size working elephant clock, powered by water, in the style that was pioneered by Muslim inventor Al-Jazari almost a millennium ago.
