Deira Old Souk Abra Station

Look at the water of the Creek and the abras shuttling back and forth. Today they cross in a few minutes, but for generations this port sent out ships every summer to the pearl banks of the Gulf. And with them travelled a story told in hushed voices.

1Months at sea

The great diving season, the ghous, filled the hottest months, from June to September. Divers went down again and again on a single breath, with a bone clip on their nose and a stone tied to their feet, while their crewmates hauled them up on a rope. It was exhausting, dangerous work, and nights at sea gave rise to fear.

2The father of the sea

According to tradition, these waters were home to Baba Darya, or Bu Darya. The name blends the Arabic bu, «father», with the Persian darya, «sea». The versions change from port to port: some describe a huge creature, half human and half amphibian; others a djinn that cried out for help to lure sailors into the water.

For fear of Baba Darya, it is said, two or three men stood guard on deck every night while the rest slept.

The tale is shared by Qatar, Bahrain and the Emirates, and scholars read it as a way of naming the real dangers of the sea: drowning, sharks and storms.

3What to look for

• The abras, heirs to the rowing boats once used to cross the Creek.
• The wooden dhows moored on the Deira bank, like those that went out to the pearl banks.
• The Bur Dubai minaret opposite, the landmark sailors saw on their way home.