Mono Monday - Air: Wind Tower

My offering for today's Mono Monday theme... of Air with thanks to notowennewitt.

Day 2 at my new desk and it is definitely very nice to have a view to look out on! Same side of the building but slightly different angle... I can still just about see where I live!! G very kindly swapped the cars around and delivered my Volvo to Volvo!! It needs to have some seals checked/replaced. And then we took Pauline out for a meal which we thoroughly enjoyed!!

My blip is of an old restored building in the area of Bastakiya near the Creek. It was settled by Persian merchants who built their homes and warehouses right next to the waterway and brought these buildings to us... The houses were built very close to each other so that when you walked through the alleyway, you didn't have the sun beating down on you and the shade kept the walls cool. The wind towers were built at high level with vents on each side to funnel any bit of breeze blowing down to the room below! A very clever idea really. As the air was channelled in, hot air in the room was expelled out of the opposite vent thereby creating circulation and up to a 10degC different between the outside and inside temperature. Not bad. In the height of summer, damp sack cloth was placed in the air passage so the air felt ever cooler.

Unfortunately, as Dubai progressed, these houses were abandoned for newer more modern builds and this area became very neglected. It is now in the process of being restored as a cultural and tourist area. Many of these old merchant homes are now art galleries.