- Sharjah parks
- Children's routes
- Sharjah landmarks
- Religious buildings
- Sharjah museums
- Shopping lovers
Sharjah is the complete opposite of its neighbor Dubai. This emirate is not so noisy, does not allow any liberties in dress and behavior, but more affordable in prices for hotels, restaurants and other services. Do not assume that it will be boring here, because the resort has all the conditions for a tourist to feel great. When asked where to go in Sharjah, guides who offer interesting excursions to attractions will be happy to answer you.
In the emirate, it is convenient to relax with children in entertainment centers and parks. Gourmets will find an exquisite menu in cafes and restaurants, where you will find typical Arabian cuisine, seafood, great coffee, and delicious desserts.
Sharjah parks
It may seem that Sharjah, located in the hot desert zone, is not the most suitable place for creating parks. But the sheikh thinks differently and annually allocates considerable funds for the greening of the emirate.
If you arrived on vacation with children, the National Park will become a favorite place for their walks. You will find playgrounds, swings and attractions on the green lawns. There are ducks in the park pond that you can feed. For young tourists, there are rollerblades, bicycles or skateboards, and the necessary equipment for outdoor activities can be rented here.
Fans of architectural attractions will love the mini-replica of Sharjah, built in the park with great precision. You will find Khalid Lagoon, crossing bridges, miniature boats and even radio-controlled cars in small streets.
Hungry, don't rush to leave Sharjah National Park! The café offers snacks and drinks, as well as traditional Arabic coffee. There are special barbecue areas in the park, and you can organize a picnic in nature yourself.
Another park worth going to in Sharjah looks more like an open-air museum. It was founded at the end of the last century to preserve the rare fauna of the Arabian Peninsula. On the territory of the Desert Park there are:
- Museum of Natural History, which displays the unique ecosystems of the desert and the Persian Gulf. Five thematic exhibitions allow you to learn about life in the sands of the Arabian Desert, travel in time, get acquainted with the history of the origin of life on the planet, see underwater inhabitants and take a walk around the emirate.
- In the center of the Arabian Desert, ideal living conditions have been created for rare and endangered animals - hyenas, baboons, Arabian leopards, sand cats. In total, there are almost a hundred different species in the center.
- A tour of the Children's Farm will appeal to little visitors. A small petting zoo is designed for close acquaintance with the living creatures familiar to the kid - goats, poultry, sheep - and with camels and donkeys, exotic for Europeans.
Children's routes
Vacations are a great time when every day brings an unforgettable experience, especially if the sea is nearby. But Sharjah is able to surprise a young tourist not only with a beach holiday. The resort has many interesting objects where curious why will like it no less.
The emirate aquarium is also called an educational center. Representatives of more than 150 species of the underwater fauna of the Persian Gulf are collected in two dozen reservoirs with seawater. The aquarium staff consider it especially important to preserve endangered species of marine animals. They recreate the most similar to natural conditions in which different animals feel comfortable - from seahorses to giant stingrays.
Another great place to relax with the whole family is the amusement park on Flag Island in the center of Sharjah. It is called "Al Montazah" and includes a traditional amusement park with attractions and a water park with a full range of water features. In Al Montazah Park you will find children's attractions of any complexity, designed for both toddlers and children of middle and senior school age. The most popular among children are trampolines, electric cars and modern video games. In the water park, the attention of guests will certainly be attracted by a pool with artificial waves, a "lazy river", slides and playgrounds. Adherents of quiet entertainment can rent bicycles and walk along specially paved paths among ideal lawns and flower beds, ride dhow boats on the lagoon, lunch with desserts at a local cafe, where they make delicious fresh and cotton candy.
Sharjah landmarks
Entertainment at the resort is presented quite abundantly, although you can always "get" pleasures in neighboring Dubai. In Sharjah itself, after a beach day, people usually hang out in the pedestrianized part of the city, south of Khalid Lagoon. This area is called Al-Kasbah and can be easily found on the Ferris wheel.
Eye of the Emirates is the official name for the wheel, but the locals call it the Big Wheel. The attraction is quite high and the cabins rise 60 m at the extreme point. The view from the "Emirates Eye" is very picturesque, the city and the sea look especially beautiful at sunset.
Abra water taxis are another attraction of Sharjah. Trams not only get to the desired point, but also enjoy the walk. By renting the whole boat, you can arrange a sightseeing tour along the embankments of Sharjah.
Musical fountains work on Al-Kasbah, which are illuminated at nightfall. Dozens of the best local dishes are presented in cafes and restaurants. Red sightseeing buses leave from tourist stops, and on some days of the week there is an opportunity to make night tours.
Fans of history and fortification architecture in Sharjah can visit the Al-Hish Fort. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century. in the city center by order of Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al-Kazimi and served as the residence of the ruling family. As usual, the power in the emirate could not be divided by representatives of the same surname, and they even tried to disassemble the fortress in order to destroy any reminder of the previous ruler. The tower and part of the walls were saved, and today a museum is open in the fort. In its halls you will see weapons, furniture, books and personal belongings of the ruling family and other sheikhs.
Top 10 attractions of Sharjah
Religious buildings
The most strict adherent of Islam in the UAE, Sharjah does not seek to open itself up to the end, and therefore the entrance to its mosques is prohibited for non-believers. But the King Faisal Mosque is worth seeing at least from the outside.
Its construction began in 1976 and lasted for 10 years. Funds for the construction were allocated by the King of Saudi Arabia Faisal, who supports the Arab countries on their path of independent development. 43 applicants from 17 countries took part in the project competition and the cost of the winning project was equal to $ 120 million.
At first glance, the mosque looks quite traditional: it occupies about 5 hectares of area and its large dome is "guarded" by two minaret towers. But from the opposite side, the building looks like the bow of a giant ocean liner, ready to take off on a trip around the world. This impression is created by balconies, covered galleries and thin-legged pillars of columns supporting numerous arches.
Sharjah museums
Among other emirates, Sharjah is the richest in museums. You will find several exhibitions in the city that can delight the tastes of both history buffs and art lovers:
- The Museum of Calligraphy tells about the ancient art of writing and shows the guest masterpieces created by the masters of the past. Arab and Turkish artists, as well as painters from Persia, are in no way inferior in calligraphy technique to Chinese and Japanese scribes.
- The Museum of Islamic Civilization displays handmade copies of the Koran, artifacts found during archaeological excavations and related to the history of religion.
- The Art Museum boasts nearly 70 rooms displaying masterpieces of world art. The basis of the collection is the personal collection of Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi. Many works from the collection of the museum were painted in the 18th century. European artists called Orientalists. These masters portrayed life in the East, and the most famous among them are David Roberts, Hora Swann Ruin and Ludwig Deutsch.
- The collection of the Al-Mahat Museum on the territory of the old airport of Sharjah is unique. It is worth going here for everyone who is fond of technology and the history of the development of aircraft construction. The museum's exhibits include the first plane to land on this field, an airmail service car, as well as old inventions that were startling for people who lived at the beginning of the 20th century. You will see the first telephones, radios, movie cameras and other attributes of the new century.
To the question "What is archeology?" the best answer is an exposition in the city center, where objects found during excavations in the emirate are collected. In the Sharjah Archaeological Museum, you will see ancient weapons and jewelry, ancient coins, sea shells, ceramics and examples of Aramaic writing that have survived to this day.
Shopping lovers
The Blue Market is the perfect place in Sharjah to shop for souvenirs and more. Vendors in the emirate's largest bazaar offer silk carpets and copper utensils, gold jewelry and antiques, precious stones and souvenirs. Souk Al-Markazi is also considered an architectural landmark of Sharjah. The building is lined with blue tiles, while the rest of its walls appear golden in the rays of the sun.
But in the oldest market in the country, it is best to buy spices and seasonings. Souq Al-Asra is also famous for its teahouses serving traditional Arabic tea with mint.
What to bring from the UAE
