Sharjah has adorned its landscape with a remarkable array of museums. It encompasses a wide range from archaeology to heritage, effectively celebrating its rich history. Among these, the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization stands out. It offers insight into the roots of Arab and Islamic culture.
Sharjah is also a unique for Touching borders with every other emirate of the UAE and boasting two very special coastlines, the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Sharjah is the hidden winter oasis you didn’t know you needed to explore. This beautiful city invites travellers to experience its rich culture, artistic wonders, and natural beauty. Whether you seek cultural immersion, outdoor adventures, or simply a respite from winter chills, Sharjah promises an unforgettable winter getaway. The temperature is comfortable during the winter months, thus making outdoor exploration easy and exciting.
WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT SHARJAH
Mild winter weather:
It’s true that exploring the outdoors when the sun is blazing will drain you of all energy. You don’t need to worry about that in Sharjah during the winter months. The winter is delightful with temperatures ranging from a pleasant 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. The weather is perfect for exploring the city’s outdoor attractions and cultural sites.
Cultural attractions:
Sharjah is also the cultural capital of the United Arab Emirates, and the city boasts several museums, galleries, and historical sites. The Sharjah Art Museum, home to an extensive collection of Arab art, and the Sharjah Heritage Area, where traditional Emirati life is preserved, offer immersive experiences for culture enthusiasts.
Al Noor Island:
Al Noor Island is a hidden gem, located in the heart of Sharjah. This lush oasis features stunning gardens, contemporary art installations, and a butterfly house. Winter offers an ideal climate to stroll through the beautifully landscaped grounds.
Souq Al Jubail:
For an authentic shopping experience, head to Souq Al Jubail. Winter brings cooler temperatures, making it more enjoyable to explore the bustling market. Indulge in the vibrant atmosphere as you navigate through stalls offering traditional handicrafts, spices, textiles, and local delicacies.
Desert experiences:
The captivating desert landscapes surrounding Sharjah calls for an exciting winter desert safari. The milder temperatures allow for a more comfortable exploration of the dunes, where you can partake in activities such as dune bashing, camel riding, and stargazing under the clear desert skies.
In a nutshell, the top reasons to visit Sharjah are for halal holidays, sober vacations, cultural destination vacations, family holidays, sustainable destinations, accessible vacations and nature. Tap on the table of content below this photo to open and explore sections or just continue to read all.
Mosques and prayer facilities
Turning now to prayer, with over 3000 mosques, you will never have to worry about missing your daily obligations in Sharjah, as there’s always a place to pray within easy reach. Even parks, beaches and lakes often have small mosques. Places that don’t have a mosque, such as a nature reserve or mall, have prayer rooms complete with ablution areas. Both men and women’s sections are provided. You can also hear the call to prayer in every neighbourhood, mall, etc.
If you are travelling from another emirate, please note that the Friday prayer in Sharjah is still at the original time rather than the revised later time in other emirates that followed the weekend switch in 2022.
Eid prayers take place in the many eid prayer grounds around the emirate, with sections for men and women, and also at specific mosques.
Ladies-only destinations
Now let’s turn now to places and facilities dedicated to ladies. Sharjah Ladies Club is accessible to all ladies and membership isn’t required. Once inside the main building, you can feel free to remove your scarf while in the restaurant, cafe, beach, etc. Men are occasionally on site for maintenance but someone will let you know if this happens.
If you are not a club member, you will need to pay a fee to use the beach, however, I usually just enjoy a morning sitting outside on the terrace looking at the beach!
The Ladies Club has branches across the Emirate of Sharjah even in small towns, so if you are resident in one of these areas, you might want to use their gym, pool, etc.
There are several ladies only parks across the emirate, such as Green Belt Ladies Park near Cultural Square. These are ideal places for exercising outdoors or enjoying a picnic with friends. All have walking tracks, trees, toilets and play areas. The age limit for boys at ladies only destinations is usually around 6 or 7.
If you’re taking your halal holiday in the summer months, you can go to Al Montaza Theme Park on Tuesdays for ladies only day .
You can also still find ladies only sections in some banks and many government offices. In general in the UAE, salons and spas outside of hotels are either for male and female. Most Sharjah hotels have separate spa and gym facilities.
Islamic Attractions
Let’s move on to activities and attractions. Sharjah offers plenty of options if you’re keen to delve deeper into Islamic culture. At the Holy Quran Museum, you can learn more about the history of the Quran and its sciences. Just a few kilometres away, you can continue learning about Islamic scholars at the Islamic World Garden.
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization provides an insight into the past and present of Islamic science, art and thought. Across Sharjah’s museums, you will find references to the Quran. For example, at the Natural History Museum, the exhibition on the beginning of the universe includes relevant Quranic verses.
If you’re surprised to see a connection between Islam and science, add these places to your itinerary to learn more. Other places of interest may include the Calligraphy Museum and Sharjah Mosque.
My favourite events of the year are the Islamic Arts Festival and the Sharjah Light Festival.
In February (sometimes early March), selected buildings across the emirate are illuminated with spectacular light shows, some with music. The Arabic architecture of many of the buildings provides the perfect canvas for the artworks.
The shows on religious buildings, such as mosques, have only light and no music, and the artwork incorporates Islamic designs, such as geometric and floral designs, arches, and so on. The mosques that feature every year are Al Noor Mosque on Buhairah Corniche, Sharjah Grand Mosque on the E611 bypass, and the Sheikh Rashid bin Hamed Al Qasimi Mosque in Dibba Al Hisn.