Sharjah

If heritage and culture are what you love, Sharjah will reward you with its museums and galleries. The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, set in a former traditional souk, holds the manuscripts, astronomical instruments and science that Islamic civilisation carried to the world.

In the Heart of Sharjah, a restoration that has brought the old houses and lanes back to life, you walk between coral-stone walls and carved wooden doors, pausing in galleries and cafés. The Sharjah Art Foundation runs the Sharjah Biennial, one of the region's leading art events.

In the emirate's central region lies the Faya Palaeolandscape, inscribed by UNESCO in July 2025, with one of the oldest records of human life in a desert setting, reaching back more than 200,000 years. The Mleiha Archaeological Centre nearby is about an hour from the city.

Sharjah is a conservative emirate: alcohol is not served, and visitors dress modestly, which families often find restful. It is minutes from Dubai, so half a day or a full day is enough.