Ibn Battuta Mall is named for the 14th-century Moroccan explorer who spent three decades travelling from Andalusia to China — and the building retells his journey. Its six courts are each themed to a region he crossed: Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China, complete with a Persian dome, an Indian elephant clock and a Chinese junk ship. Even if you buy nothing, it is the most architecturally entertaining mall in Dubai.
Shopping and shows
Under the theming it is a full-scale regional mall: hundreds of stores, a large cinema complex and dozens of restaurants spread through the courts, generally calmer and easier to navigate than the Downtown giants. Exhibits on Ibn Battuta's travels are scattered along the concourse — worth a pause as you change "countries".
Getting there
The mall anchors the southern end of Sheikh Zayed Road near Jebel Ali, with its own Ibn Battuta Metro station on the red line and extensive free parking. By car it is about ten minutes from Dubai Marina, which makes it the natural rainy-day (or too-hot-day) companion to a Marina or JBR stay — and a convenient last stop before the drive to Abu Dhabi.
