When its time to travel to UAE, everyone thinks just in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but this is not the only region that has what to show to the tourists. The other five emirates are rich in museums, landscapes and culture. What about meeting other places?
Sharjah
Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife
A good option for those ones who travel with children. Located approximately 25 kilometers from the city of Sharjah, the centre shelters mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Some of the animals that live there are natural from the Arabian Peninsula, as the Arabian wolf, the Arabian red fox and Arabian leopard.
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization
The museum was built in 1977 and renovated in 2008 with elements of Arab-Islamic architecture and the ceiling represents the night with the zodiac symbols designed in mosaic.
On the first floor there’s a gallery of the Islamic faith, which houses pictures of pilgrimages and historical manuscripts of Islam. The religion shares space with science at the gallery of science and innovation, where are exposed instruments that were created by Arabs and that improved the develop of research and discoveries in medicine, geography, astronomy and architecture.
Upstairs are exposed objects made after the Mongol invasion to Islamic lands, in the 14th century. Also in this gallery are pieces of pottery and metal coined in the Ottoman Empire, of the Safavid Dynasty (in Iran) and the Abbasid caliphate from 850 AD.
Al Qasba
In the tourist complex of Al Qasba it’s possible to try meals of Arab cuisine, shop, and see, from the top of the 60 meters high Etisalat Eye ferris-wheel, the main buildings of Sharjah and part of the Arabian Peninsula. Also in Al Qasba is the gallery Maraya Art Centre, with exhibitions of the latest artistic productions of Arab culture.
Fujairah
Built in 1670, the Fort of Fujairah was the first UAE build and for many years the only building in the area. It was used to protect the family that was in power at times of wars or invasions.
The mosque of Al Bidyah is the oldest of the Emirates. The time of its construction is unknown. Some studies indicate that it was built with stone and terracotta in 640 AD However, there is evidences that the building was made in 1446 BC and it was only used as a mosque many centuries later.
The Fujairah museum collects the first objects of the Emirates’ history. Some of the them are from the Bronze Agean are 4500 years old. Many of these objects were found in excavations at archaeological sites in Qidfa and Bithnah.