The sights of Sharjah are often compared to the pearls of the Arabian Peninsula. Sharjah is a small but modern and cozy city located on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Despite the fact that Dubai is located nearby, many travelers prefer to stay here. The main reason is that Sharjah surprisingly has enough space for historical attractions (which is quite a rarity for the UAE), huge shopping centers, and snow-white beaches.
Unlike modern Dubai, there are also simple, uncluttered buildings, as well as museums and many cultural centers. There are more than 600 mosques here alone. Sharjah has a lot of interesting places to go on your own and have a lot to see.
When traveling to Sharjah, it should be taken into account that this is a fairly “dry” city, where it is forbidden to drink alcohol, there are no hookah bars and you must wear closed clothes.
Attractions
Historically, Sharjah is one of the richest cities in an already not poor country, with many interesting places to visit. This city is often called the main treasury of the United Arab Emirates. What is worth seeing on your own in Sharjah?
Al Noor Mosque
Al Noor Mosque (translated from Arabic – “prostration”) – perhaps the most famous landmark of the Emirate of Sharjah. It is a beautiful and picturesque building made of white marble, built in the likeness of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Like the ancient Turkish temple, the Al Nur Mosque has 34 domes and is open to tourists. It was built in 2005 and is named after the son of the Emir of Sharjah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan Al-Qasimi. The most modern technologies and materials were used in the construction of the attraction.
The interior of the Muslim temple also impresses with its beauty and luxury: the walls are lined with natural stone and painted by local artists. The mosque traditionally has 2 prayer halls: male (for 1,800 people) and female (for 400 believers).
At night, the snow-white building becomes even more spectacular: the lighting turns on, and the mosque takes on a sparkling golden hue. By the way, near the attraction in the evening there is a light fountain, which is also worth seeing.
Al Nur Mosque is open to all comers: not only Muslims, but also followers of other religions can come here. When visiting the temple on your own, you should remember the following rules: in the mosque, you can not eat, drink, hold hands, talk loudly and wear open clothes.
Al Noor Mosque is one of the attractions that are worth seeing in Sharjah in the first place.
- Location: Al Mamzar Corniche St, Sharjah.
- Opening hours: Monday from 10.00 to 12.00 (for tourists and tourist groups), the rest of the time-services only for Muslims.
- Features: It is necessary to wear dark closed clothing.
Mleiha Center for Archaeology
Mlekha is a small town in the Emirate of Sharjah, recognized by historians as the oldest archaeological site in the United Arab Emirates. The very first artifacts were found not so long ago: in the 90s, when the water supply was laid. Today, the site is home to the Mlekha Archaeological Center. The tourist site is not very popular yet, as it was opened only in 2016. However, the authorities plan to turn it into a center of tourism and archeology.
The Mlekh Archaeological Center is a huge complex that includes many buildings. First, it is the main building of the museum, which houses all the artifacts: ceramics, jewelry, tools. Secondly, it is a huge fort, where archaeologists have found several ancient tombs and many treasures. Third, these are ordinary residential buildings: many of them are historical monuments, and it will be just interesting to walk around the town.
You should also see the valley of caves and the camel cemetery on your own. For a fee, you can visit real excavations: talk to archaeologists and dig. You can also go horse riding, go on jeep safaris, and live in comfortable tents in the desert.
- Location: Mleiha City, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- Opening hours: Thursday-Friday from 9.00 to 21.00, other days – from 9.00 to 19.00.
- Ticket price: adults – 25 dirhams, teenagers (12-16 years old) – 10, children under 12 years old-free of charge.
- Official website: https://discovermleiha.ae/.
Sharjah Classic Car Museum
What else to see in Sharjah (UAE)? The first thing that many people will say is a car museum. This is a huge exhibition hall where cars from different eras and countries are collected. In total, about 100 rare cars and about 50 vintage motorcycles are on display. The two “oldest” models are the Dodge and Ford Model T, released in 1916. The most ” new ” cars rolled off the assembly line in the 60s of the 20th century.
During the tour, the guide will not only talk about the creation of cars, but also demonstrate how various car parts function. However, the exhibition hall is far from the only place where you can see rare vehicles on your own. It is worth going behind the museum building, and you will see a huge number of broken, worn and collapsed cars. All of them were also released in the 20th century, but just haven’t been restored yet.
- Location: Sharjah-Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah.
- Opening hours: on Friday-from 16.00 to 20.00, on other days – from 8.00 to 20.00, in Ramadan – from 9.00 to 14.00.
- Price: for adults-10 dirhams, for children 2-15 years – 5 dirhams.
- Official site: www.sharjahmuseums.ae.
Arab Wildlife Center
The Arab Wildlife Center is the only place in the UAE where you can see the animals of the Arabian Peninsula on your own. This is a huge zoo located near Sharjah Airport, 38 km from the city.
Residents of the center live in spacious enclosures, and you can watch them through huge panoramic windows. A big advantage of the center is that tourists do not have to walk under the scorching rays of the sun, but can look at animals from cool rooms.
A botanical garden, a children’s farm and an avifauna are also located near the wildlife center. You can visit all these places yourself for free – this is already included in the ticket price.
- Address: Al Dhaid Rd | E88, Sharjah Airport Road at interchange 9, Sharjah.
- Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday-9.00-18.30, Friday-14.00-18.30, Saturday and Sunday – from 11.00-18.30, Tuesday-closed.
- Cost: 21 dirhams-for adults, for children under 12 years of age admission is free.
Dancing fountains of Al Majar (Al Majaz Waterfront)
Al Majar Park is a place where the famous dancing fountains are located. You can see the attraction by sitting on the embankment, in one of the many cafes, or in a hotel nearby. In addition to the colorful fountains, the park has many sculptures, a golf course, a mosque, and several venues that periodically host concerts.
Dancing fountains has 5 show programs. The most famous and unusual is “Ebru”. This is an unusual performance created in the water marble technique by the show’s designer Garib Au. All 5 shows are shown daily (although they are always shown in different order).
- Location: Al Majaz Park, United Arab Emirates.
- Opening hours: Performances start daily at 20.00 and run every half hour, with shows starting later in Ramadan.
Buhaira Corniche
The Buhaira Corniche is one of the most popular holiday destinations for both locals and tourists. From here you can enjoy an impressive panoramic view of Sharjah: tall skyscrapers, a Ferris wheel and cozy restaurants. Experienced travelers are advised to take a walk here in the evening, after a hot day. At this time, all the buildings are beautifully illuminated, and palm trees complement this picture.
Local residents recommend renting a bicycle, so you can see the city on your own. If you come here during the day, you can sit on the grass and relax. The embankment is a great place to start your trip: almost all the sights are located nearby.
Where to find: Bukhara St, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Museum of Islamic Civilization
If it seems that you have already visited everything, and do not know what else you can see on your own in Sharjah, go to the Museum of Islamic Civilization.
Here are collected all the exhibits affecting the culture of the East. These are ancient works of art, banknotes from different eras, and ancient household items. The building is divided into 6 parts. The first is the Abu Bakr Gallery. Here you can see the Koran and see for yourself the most outstanding models of buildings of Islamic architecture. This part will be especially important and interesting for Muslims – it tells about the role of Hajj in the life of believers and about the five pillars of Islam.
The second part is the Al-Haifam Gallery. Here you can independently see how science developed in Muslim countries, and get acquainted with various household items. The third section of the museum is a collection of ceramics, clothing, wooden products and jewelry from different eras. In the fourth hall, you can view all the artifacts dating back to the 13th and 19th centuries. The fifth part of the attraction is dedicated to the 20th century and the influence of European culture on Muslims. The sixth section contains gold and silver coins from different eras.
In addition, the center of Islamic civilization often hosts various exhibitions and creative meetings.
- Location: Corniche St, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- Opening hours: Friday-closed, other days-10.00-18.00.
- Cost: 10 dirhams, admission is free for people over 60 years of age.
Sharjah Aquarium
One of the most spectacular sights of Sharjah is the huge city aquarium, located on the Gulf of the United Arab Emirates. This is an amazing structure in many ways.
First, there are more than 250 species of inhabitants of the Indian Sea and the Persian Gulf, including various types of fish, seahorses, shrimp and turtles. There are even moray eels and sea sharks. Secondly, for a fee, you can feed the fish and other inhabitants of the aquarium yourself. Third, each screen has a special display where you can learn interesting facts about each inhabitant of the sea.
Near the aquarium there is a children’s Playground and a souvenir shop.
- Location: Al Meena St, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- Opening hours: from Sunday to Thursday-from 8.00 to 20.00, on Friday-from 16.00 to 20.00.
- Price: 25 dirhams for children aged 13+ and adults, children (2-12 years) – 15 dirhams.
- Website: https://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/en-US/Museums/Sharjah-Aquarium.
Maritime Museum
Like many cities with access to the sea, Sharjah has been living thanks to water since ancient times: people fish, build ships, trade. Archaeologists have found so many marine artefacts that a museum was established in 2009. This is a grand structure with many halls. Among the interesting exhibits, it is worth noting a lot of models of ships, various types of shells (they were often used as dishes) and a recreated cabin of the ship with goods that were taken to other parts of the world (spices, fabrics, gold).
In the maritime museum, you can also see how pearl fishermen collected real Arab pearls: how they identified shells, weighed the precious mineral and made jewelry from it. The exhibition presents a number of devices for catching pearls.
- Location: Hisn Avenue, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- Opening hours: Friday-16.00-20.00, other days-8.00-20.00.
- Price: Entrance ticket from the aquarium is valid.
There is definitely something to see in this city – the sights of Sharjah will not leave anyone indifferent, even experienced travelers will be surprised.
