A City’s Beating Heart

A few weeks ago a new mall appeared on Dubai’s urban scene – named ‘Mirdiff City Centre’.

Located along Emirates Road it is obscured by a massive parking garage – which is brightly lit at night exposing vast empty spaces. No doubt the mall will have its fans and will serve its surrounding community. But, I was struck by the word ‘centre’ which does of course suggest that these malls have become the new centres of urban regions. It wasn’t always this way however. City centres were the beating heart of cities – both physically and metaphorically.

Similar to the human body a city is doomed if it does not have a heart. These centres are usually a large open space overlooked by significant buildings, but they can also be a street or a neighbourhood even, and are geographically located within the center of a city. Moreover, it is a place that residents associate with historic events and is sometimes used as a site for political gatherings, religious celebrations and so on.

Many cities use these centres as a way to market themselves, acting as a branding device to attract investors and foreign firms. It is telling that in an era of globalization, such centers are becoming increasingly visible and acquire an almost mythical status – talked about in revered tones, signifying an authenticity which one can reclaim by simply ‘being there.’ Most traditional cities may be said to have a centre – a central square which lies at a city’s heart.

For example the ultimate New York experience is Times Square in Manhattan, a place that underwent a substantial transformation since its crime-ridden days of the 1970s. Or consider London’s Trafalgar Square, Rome’s Spanish Steps and Moscow’s Red Square. In Asia, China’s Tianamen square in Beijing – considered one of the largest in the world – contains the burial site of Mao Zedong, is overlooked by governmental buildings and leads towards the Forbidden City. In combining all of these historical layers it is the ultimate representation of a city’s heart.

The Middle East has its share of these centres as well such as the Tahrir Square in Cairo, a vibrant urban space overlooked by the Egyptian Museum, the Hilton Hotel (Cairo’s first modern 5-star hotel), and the Nasser era ‘Mogama’. Or Beirut’s Martyr’s square bordering the Solidere district and site of numerous political demonstrations, as well as demarcating the border between warring factions during the civil war.

With regard to the Gulf, most people would perhaps argue that there are no such centers given the region’s relatively recent urbanization efforts. Yet a closer look would reveal that there are in fact such places and urban developments are strengthening them. In Doha for example the recently announced Musheireb project by Dohaland is precisely such an effort aiming at reviving the city’s traditional center. This is also the case in Dubai which at first glance seems to lack a ‘beating heart.’

However, there is one, or more accurately used to be one – known officially as Baniyas Square, but long-time residents refer to it by its former name, Jamal Abd el Nasser (former Egyptian president) or Nasr Square. The place has a substantive history and is representative of transformations which have moved Dubai from a small fishing village to a major global centre.

The square is in Deira, in what is the city’s traditional central business district. While originally the commercial heart, this changed recently with the emergence of new high-tech shopping centres and is now undergoing a major transformation to make way for a Dubai Metro stop. Prior to its closure for construction work, the square was a major hangout for the lower- to middle-class shoppers facilitated by its central location and proximity to the Creek. Also a number of key markets were within easy reach, such as Dubai’s old souq, Naif Market and the Gold souq.

Historic photographs show that it was initially a cattle market. Small stores, constructed from fragile materials, appear at the square’s edge. Also, water-carriers can be observed. In the 1960s the space became more defined; small scale stores appeared – among them Jashanmal, now a major chain in Dubai – and high-rise concrete structures appear paving the way for a major transformation.

There was also a cinema called National Cinema – one of the first in the region. I should also note that the area is bordered by a cemetery which at present is enclosed by a fence, rendering it invisible to passers-by. However the location is interesting because it demonstrates that the space was originally on the city’s outskirts – a typical place for burial grounds. It is worth noting that Baniyas was also a major hangout for the engineers responsible for dredging the Creek in 1963. It also was the site of the first Arab Unity School founded in 1974.

Given the square’s history and being closely tied to the city’s growth its current transformation has the potential for converting the area into a major center.

While significant efforts are expanded towards new Dubai and the development of new business and retail centers – such as JBR’s The Walk for example, they are no substitute for a place that has a strong sense of authenticity, and is accessible to all segments of society. In this way it becomes Dubai’s beating heart once again.

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