Fancy an eerie night tour to meet some Emirati ghosts
Come to Al Fahidi area on Friday to see them
Fancy seeing an Emirati ghost? How about taking a trip around the dark alleys of old Al Fahidi neighbourhood in Dubai on a Friday night to meet one, or more?
Well, an opportunity like this is coming up this Friday for the adventurous guys who wish to meet the scary heroes and heroines from UAE folklore. A set of seven to eight ghosts and spirits, whose stories have been rife among the older Emirati generations, will appear during a guided tour of the historical areas in Al Fahidi.
The thrilling night tour is the brainchild of Heba Bin Redha, a pioneering Emirati female tour guide who conducts walking tours in the old Dubai areas.
Heba’s traditional walking tour packages under the name ‘Kashta with Heba’ have hit the headlines in the past year typically due to the way it helps participants explore the history, heritage and hidden secrets of old Dubai.
So when she planned to do a night tour, Heba decided to give it a hair-raising spin. “Just like in all other countries, there are some myths and folklore characters whose stories have been passed on from one generation to another among Emiratis as well,” Heba told Gulf News. Though older generations grew up hearing these stories, the younger generations are not well-versed in it, she pointed out. Most expats have not even heard of them either.
“I thought about educating people about these stories and characters while we explore one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Dubai in a night tour.”
Thus, the ghost tour named ‘Myths of the UAE’, which promises an unforgettable tour filled with excitement and horror, took shape.
The most popular ghost characters whom you can greet during the tour are Umm Al Duwais, a female ghost who seduces and kills men who are not faithful to their wives, Baba Daryah, an old male ghost who drowns fishermen who venture out to the sea at night.
Details about the registration for Heba’s night tour packages can be found on her Instagram account @ kashtawithheba.