Last week I presented a short video of the Burj Khalifa light show. Today I’m going to show you and extended video showing much more of what you can expect. Today’s video contains three clips stitched together in the sequence in which they were recorded:
Tag Archives: Dubai
Fun Photo (Video) Friday — Burj Khalifa Light Show; The Extended Version
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Dubai — Gold Souk
If it’s Wednesday, it must be time to shop. And Ursula loves shopping for precious stones and gold. We hit souks (marketplaces) in Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, and now it was time to hit Dubai’s Gold Souk. Continuing north from Burj Khalifa Metro Station, exit the light rail at Al Ras Metro Station. From there it’s about a seven-minute walk.
Prepare to be amazed when you arrive. The shops selling gold, expensive watches, and other luxury items seem to stretch forever:
And don’t worry about the Sun. You’ll be walking beneath shade. The temperatures may be warm, but the shops run air conditioning.
Gold sold here comes in basically four flavors — 24K, 22K, 21K, and 18K. Gold for bracelets, rings, and other pieces subject to dings, squishing, and other abuse generally come in the 18-to-21K range. Here’s a 21K bangle that I finally managed to talk Ursula into letting me acquire for her after I insisted we return (twice) to the store selling it:
Gold pieces intended for more formal wear or slated to become family heirlooms tend toward 22K and 24K, such as:
But I have trouble distinguishing anything 21K and above. This 21K piece is an example as to why:
Friday ends this series of articles that began way back on 8 July with a transatlantic cruise Spain and continued onwards with flights to Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. I hope you enjoyed the journey. But let’s continue for now with more shopping at Dubai’s Gold Souk:
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Dubai — Burj Khalifa and Museum of the Future
Today I’m going to show photos of the Burj Khalifa and it’s surrounding areas, as well as exterior shots of Dubai’s Museam of the Future. And while I cited these Burj Khalifa stats last week, I’m going to repeat them for today’s article:
- Completed: 1 October 2009
- Opened: 4 January 2010
- Height (top of spire): 2,717 feet/828 meters:
- Height (antenna): 2,722 feet/829.8 meters
- Roof: 2,426 feet/739.4 meters
- Top Floor: 1,921 feet/585.4 meters
- Observatory: 1,823 feet/555.7 meters
- Total Floors: 163 (including nine maintenance floors)
- Floor Area: 3,331,100 sq. ft./309,473 m2
You’ll notice that the photo above was taken in portrait mode. That’s because it’s almost impossible to capture the entire structure in landscape mode, even with a 25mm lens (35mm equivalent) unless you’re a mile or more away. Here’s what I mean:
And at the base of the Burj Khalifa is the manmade Burj Khalifa Lake, which I showed you last week:
The massive Dubai Mall sprawls out to the east of the Burj Khalifa. The leasable space here measures 3,800,000 sq. ft./350,000 m2. Inside you’ll find everything from luxury goods in one wing (Rolex, Bvlgari, Cartier, etc.), to souvenir shops. And, of course, there are many dining establishments here catering from gourmet to budget friendly. This link will give you more information: Dubai Mall Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment.
Before we head over to the Museum of the Future, here’s a last twilight look at the Burj Khalifa:
The Burj Khalifa is not the only architectural wonder here. There is another that stuns with it’s exterior design. The Museum of the Future is a squashed torus shape located just two stops north of the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station.
Interestingly, the windows at the museum, completed in 2022, represent the words of a poem about the future. The author of this poem is the current ruler, vice president, and prime minister of Dubai — Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Here’s a view of those windows:
And, yes, it’s equally stunning at night. If not more so:
Time your shot just right and you’ll be able to capture the metro running along the base of the building:
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Decisions — Murder in Paradise
The Globe — Murder in Luxury
R. Doug Wicker — Author 