Ibn Battuta Mall is a large shopping mall, which was famous for its design for representing the six different regions in the six main courts of the mall. For this representation of different countries, the mall was named as Ibn Battuta, who was a famous Moroccan explorer lived during the 14th century. He travels across Africa, Asia, and Europe covering more than 75,000 miles over 30 years. The mall was divided into six main courts, each court's theme reflecting the region visited by Ibn Battuta. The six regions are China, India, Egypt, Persia, Tunisia, and Andalusia.
The construction of the Ibn Battuta Mall was started in the year 2003, it took 2 years for its completion. The official opening date of the mall was on 4 April, 2005. Building the mall in 2 years is much faster in a large scale project. The mall was built by Nakheel Properties, famous for its work in Palm Jumeirah. The designer of the wonderful creation was the architectural firm Benoy. The mall was located in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The mall has a total area of approximately 521,000 square meters.
In Ibn Battuta Mall the six courts are divided in the six regions and not six floors. All the six courts are on the ground level. The main entrance of the mall was inspired by the Egyptian architecture and design. The first court of the mall was Chinese court, where the design was inspired by the Chinese architecture like pagodas, red lanterns, ornate roofs, and complicated detailing of imperial palaces and gardens. The retail shops offer products including Chinese silk, ceramics, traditional clothing like cheongsams and qipaos, and also modern trends from China. In dining, Chinese court offers varieties of flavors such as Sichuanese, Cantonese, and Beijing style dishes. Popular foods including dim sum, noodles, Peking duck and various types of tea.
The second court of the mall is Indian court, which has an architect of traditional motifs, arches and roofs. The retail shops sell things including the saree, kurtas and traditional accessories like bangles, and jewelry. Also you can find handicrafts and home decor items. The dining space provides several range of Indian varieties like South Indian dosas, North Indian curries and sweets like samosas and gulab jamuns.
The third court of the mall is Persia court, the court features elements that inspired by the Persian architecture, like tile work, arches and geometrical patterns. The ambience recreates the historic Persian palaces and gardens. The retail shop provides goods like Persian carpets, rugs, textiles and handicrafts. You can also find Persian clothing and accessories and home decor items. The dining options provide items like herbs, spices, and rice dishes. Popular dishes like kebabs, pilafs, stews like khoresh, and sweets such as baklava and Persian pastries.
The fourth court of the mall was Egyptian court. The architecture of the court was look like ancient Egyptian structure such as columns, hieroglyphic motifs, and Egyptian themed decor. There were many retail shops containing goods of Egypt region like jewelry, clothing and handicrafts. There were dining options providing the varieties of Egyptian specialties. The entertainment options related to Egyptian culture, such as performances, exhibits, or themed events. The ambience was showcased with the lighting and music of Egyptian era overall the atmosphere took you to ancient Egypt.
The fifth court of the mall is Tunisia court which designs are inspired from Tunisian architecture, the works like arches, complicated tile work, and decorative motifs. The retail shops provide goods like Tunisian carpets, ceramics, pottery, traditional clothing like jebbas, and handicrafts such as leather goods and artisanal products. In dining the varieties of food such as couscous dishes, tagines, seafood, and pastries like baklava and makroud.
The sixth court of the mall is Andalusia court, which was themed around by Moorish architecture, the architect work such as complicated tile work, horseshoe arches and ornate geometric patterns. The design aims to replicate the palaces and gardens from Andalusia. The retail shops provide goods like Spanish fashion brands, accessories, leather goods, and traditional Andalusian crafts such as ceramics and decorative tiles. In dining the restaurants and cafes in the Andalusia court provide the cuisine includes tapas, paella, grilled meats and desserts like churros and flan. The ambience includes Spanish music which gives an atmosphere of Spanish cafes and restaurants.
The working hours of the Ibn Battuta Mall are generally in Sunday to Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM and in Thursday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM. In the context of the time of tourist places varies due to the special occasions, and special events. So it's always advisable to check the official website for updated information.