Dubai Malls
Like everything else in Dubai, shopping and shopping malls in general are experiences in and of themselves. In fact, the indoor attractions of the malls have become preferred ways of escaping the intense desert heat.
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A few shots of the Dubai Mall, largest mall on the Arabian peninsula. What I found most interesting was how every section seemed to have been designed in completely different ways. There didn't seem to be any unified interior theme at all, which actually made it more fun to walk around because you never knew what was going to show up around the next corner.
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A larger-than-life aquarium in the middle of a mall in the middle of the desert? Why not?
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Outwardly, Dubai seems like one of the most progressive places on earth. But it's still got a very firm conservative Muslim streak as well, and rules for proper mall behavior are posted everywhere.
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Since devout Muslims pray five times a day, every few couple hours the haunting melodies of the call to prayer are heard everywhere, even in shopping malls. Here in the Emirates Mall, all of the digital display boards switched over to "Prayer Time" mode every time the call to prayer sounded.
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Yes, an indoor ski slope in the middle of the desert! The things unlimited oil money can buy! The Emirates Mall has the ski slope anchoring one end of the complex with big glass windows so everyone in the mall can have a look what's going on inside.
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Dubai's shopping malls cater to every conceivable interest. I found the contrast in this display to be especially interesting: a scantily-clad female mannequin displayed next to a pair sporting much more conservative attire.
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Persian carpets & paintings dazzle the eye at The City Centre, yet another of Dubai's mega malls. If you have to ask how much these gigantic carpets cost, then you can't afford them. But for those masochists of like mind, I did ask. And as expected, I left the store without a carpet under my arm. How many people can afford to spend $35,000 on a carpet anyway?
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Malls are a great place for local people watching, with all of the exoticism that entails.
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Art imitates life at the many mall galleries.
