I Am In Love With Sharjah
A day in the Capital of Arab culture
Credits @ Michela Spugnini
Capital of Arab culture, it is the city that most expresses the cultural diversity of the UAE.
Sharjah is stunning, with Ottoman-style palaces, grand mosques, monumental squares, museums of Arab history and traditions, as well as contemporary architecture and art institutions...
In the Special Itinerary The Hearth of Sharjah designed and guided by Nadia Damato, you will visit the ancient Fort with its internal museum, and while getting lost in the labyrinthine alleys of the city's historic center, you will arrive at the house of Nabooda, the pearl fisherman.
The tour begins at 10 AM and lasts about 3 hours, but since the journey to Sharjah is always quite challenging due to the distance and traffic, I recommend staying for lunch and the afternoon as well.
Here are some alternatives to make your day full and interesting. You can stay in the area where the tour takes place, dining at Arabian Tea House, or discover The Chedi Al Bait, a stunning boutique hotel converted from ancient houses in the historic center, and choose between the restaurant or the café Al Bareed (ask me to book!).
Alternatively, you can move from the historic center and visit the Qasba area in just 10 minutes by car, and maybe include a visit to the Maraya Art Center (free) or the Rain Room in the afternoon (if you don’t know it, click here).
If you're with children, you might opt for the Aquarium, the Maritime Museum, or the Butterfly Garden on Al Noor Island.
If you love more radical contemporary art, you can continue your visit to the historic center by discovering the Sharjah Art Foundation (free entry), the most important art foundation in the Middle East.
Finally, on your way back to Dubai, you can stop in the university area, perhaps for a coffee or lunch at Caya, or get lost in the architectural beauty of the wonderful ‘The House of Wisdom,’ the library designed by the British star architect Sir Norman Foster.
And I know, you will want to return multiple times to visit this incredible city, unexpected for the quantity and quality of its museums, art galleries, and cultural points of interest, but also for its distinctly decadent character...
Would you like to create a tailored itinerary for Sharjah for one or more days?Just write to me!
The tour ‘The Hearth of Sharjah’ is in Italian and is scheduled for November 5 and 19.
Those dates don’t work for you? Each Special Itinerary can also be booked privately, in English or other languages.
Just message me, and we’ll find the right date for you!
Credits @ David Rizzuti