7 THINGS TO SEE IN SHARJAH - THE EMIRATE OF CULTURE (Travel Guide)

 

Written by Giuditta Andrei

Sharjah, whose name from Arabic means 'Sunrise', is the third largest Emirate after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Has a population of over one million and is geographically located between the Persian Gulf coast to the West and the Gulf of Oman to the East.

Unlike Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which are better known and visited by tourists for their glitz, shopping in malls, beaches and skyscrapers, the Emirate of Sharjah has, over the years, retained its integrity, becoming a centre for arts and culture.

It boasts major international nominations such as being named the Cultural Capital of the UAE by UNESCO in 1998, and the Tourism Capital in 2015.

Sharjah has the largest number of nature reserves, plays an important role in the publishing industry and is now home to a quarter of the total number of museums of UAE. Every year it hosts important popular events, such as the Biennale and the International Book Fair.

Sharjah can be easily reached from Italy with a 6-hour direct flight, booking with the low-cost airline Air Arabia. However, if you are already in Dubai, Sharjah is about 30 km from the city and can be reached either by car or by public transport such as bus and ferry.

DISCOVER THE 7 THINGS TO SEE IN SHARJAH

1) Museum of Islamic Civilisation

Sharjah over the years has endeavoured to preserve its cultural, historical and archaeological heritage, which can be found exhibited in the Museum of Islamic Civilisation, open to the public since 2008.

The architecture of the building is particularly distinctive: on the outside, the main façade is fabulously decorated with arabesques, and the most remarkable component is the majestic golden dome whose interior is inlaid with a vast mosaic depicting the night sky and the Zodiac. 

The Museum preserves the deep roots of Arab culture, so much so that it houses over 5,000 scientific and religious artefacts from all over the Islamic world.

The Museum consists of seven galleries on two floors, spanning 1,400 years of history, and housing primarily, a vast collection of objects bearing witness to ancient arts and crafts, dating in total between the 7th and 19th centuries.

Objects from the Abbasid and Umayyad periods are preserved, including metal crafts inlaid with silver, gold and brass, ancient coins, textiles, jewellery, weapons and a large collection of astrolabes.

Historical prototypes and inventions developed by Arab scholars over time in all fields of knowledge, including medicine, chemistry, maritime navigation and engineering, are also shown through sophisticated three-dimensional models.

2) Mleiha Archaeological Centre

50 km from Sharjah is the village of Mleiha (Maliha), which boasts an important archaeological site open to the public.

This site is significantly remembered for the discovery in the area of numerous tools, metallurgical artefacts and ancient bone artefacts dating back to the Palaeolithic period, between 130,000 and 120,000 years ago, which have provided tangible evidence of the spread of human beings beyond the African continent.

After 40 years of excavations that uncovered the first human settlements in the area, the Centre has been built around a tomb dating back to 2300 B.C. called the tomb of Umm an-Nar, and has been open to the public since 2016.

Ancient treasures continue to be discovered by the sands of the village of Mleiha, in fact recently in 2021, a 9kg terracotta pot containing 409 ancient coins was found.

The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and there is the opportunity to explore the historical past of the surrounding area through various tours:

One nearby destination for hiking enthusiasts is the Fossil Rock nature reserve, located a 45-minute drive from Sharjah. Here lies a priceless geological treasure trove of marine invertebrate fossils dating back 70 million years. The geological history of this area tells us that the mountains created by the volcanic activity once present were largely covered by the sea, which has now disappeared, and today the incredible diversity of organisms that inhabited those waters are fossilised here.

3) The Butterfly House on Al Noor Island

The Butterfly House was created on an Oasis of Peace, namely Al Noor Island, a recently created artificial islet in the Khalid Lagoon; it is accessible via a 3-km walkway that connects the centre of Sharjah directly to the Island, and this is the right place if one is looking for tranquillity and contact with nature.

Al Noor Island blends art and nature in its design, presenting the observer with gardens dotted with sculptures and modern art installations, as well as extensive vegetation, with a variety of 70,000 trees and plants that give the place a cool, calm and verdant atmosphere.

The main attraction on the Island is the Butterfly House, a steel structure with modern architecture, controlled temperature and humidity and home to 500 different species of butterflies.

Once a year, the Island hosts the International Storytelling Festival, an event celebrating the telling of fairy tales and myths in Arabic and English. The island is a fascinating place to stroll, especially in the evening, an atmospheric time to admire the sunset and the LED light show that illuminates the vegetation here.

4 The Al Noor Mosque

Anyone interested in discovering the heritage of the UAE and learning a little about Islamic beliefs can head to the Al Noor Mosque, the only Mosque in Sharjah that opens its doors to non-Muslims.

Recently built in 2005 next to the Khalid Lagoon, the Mosque is architecturally inspired by the classical Ottoman style.

Al Noor Mosque features cascading domes and two towering minarets, combining a number of details reminiscent of St. Sophia in Istanbul. It can accommodate a total of 2200 worshippers.

The interior walls feature intricate calligraphy of Qur'anic verses and ornamental floral frames around the doors and arched windows.

During festivals and after sunset, you will admire the mosque beautifully illuminated by light effects.

5) The Maritime Museum

With a vast collection of ships that trace the ancient past of seafarers, the Maritime Museum allows visitors to discover the inextricable and historical link between Sharjah and the sea and the subsequent development of coastal cities, a strong bond that boasts over 6,000 years of history.

The Museum first opened its doors in 2003 and exhibits the history of traditional fishing methods, local trade, as well as rudders of ancient ships and sophisticated orientation and distance calculation systems used by sailors during crossings.

One can also admire the process of searching for, collecting and classifying by weight and size of genuine pearls.

The activity of pearl fishing in the Persian Gulf boasts thousands of years of trade and history. The oldest pearl exhibited here dates back 7,000 years.

6) Calligraphy Museum

In the heart of Sharjah is the only museum in the Arab world devoted entirely to calligraphy.

The Museum has opened its doors for the first time in 2002, and what it holds in store takes one on a journey through the creativity and evolution of Arabic calligraphy over time, through fascinating masterpieces created by local and international Calligraphers and Artists.

The museum also hosts temporary art exhibitions and a rich exhibition programme to make visitors aware of the importance of preserving the ancient art of writing.

7) The House of Wisdom

The House of Wisdom is named after the ancient centre of learning in Baghdad, which around the year 1000 during the Islamic Golden Age was the beating heart of science, intellectualism, translation and classification of ancient texts.

Inaugurated in December 2020, in the vicinity of the airport, following Sharjah's recognition as the Book Capital of the World, today, the House of Wisdom is intended precisely to evoke the ancient charm of wisdom with a modern twist.

The House is in fact a futuristic 12,000-square-metre cultural centre, and features a library with over 300,000 volumes both physical and digital.

The House has been created with the aim of spreading learning, collective development and recreation for students, bibliophiles and writers, thanks to the combination of technological innovations that make this complex unique.

One of the sophisticated technologies present is the 3D fabrication lab, which allows visitors to the House to experiment with their creativity by building prototypes for possible inventions.

There are also workspaces and a technological system called Espresso Book Machine, which has the capacity to print and bind in a few minutes, both personal books and books of your choice from the 6 million stored in the House’s system.

Externally, the building is designed to meet the requirements of the Arab climate; in fact, the windows of the façade are protected externally by an aluminium screen that filters the sun's rays.

The main forecourt is covered and stands at its centre, 36 metres high, The Scroll, a 72-ton monument designed to resemble a parchment scroll; this artwork represents the enduring power of books and suggests how the passion for reading and the love of knowledge can unite people indiscriminately.