Sharjah

Understand

Sharjah is very closely connected to Dubai through the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area, with commuter traffic creating rush hour traffic jams. Many people live in Sharjah but work in Dubai to take advantage of lower rents, hence traffic from Sharjah to Dubai and Dubai to Sharjah is largely expected in rush hours.

The emirate is considerably larger than Dubai, with coastline on both west and east coasts of the peninsula, and with exclaves of Kalba, Khor Fakkan, and Dibba Al Hisn. The road to the east coast goes through rugged Al Hajar mountains. Public buildings in the Emirate are all in Umayyad and Abbasid architecture, and were all designed by the present Shaikh (a qualified architect). Therefore, the city offers a nice visual change and a more cultural atmosphere from the usual fare of skyscrapers in other Emirates.

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism website has sections on business, heritage, leisure, education, and coast.

Get in

For visa requirements to visit Sharjah, see the United Arab Emirates page.

See

250px|thumb|Al Hisn fort 250px|thumb|Sharjah is known for its Arabic and Islamic architecture and designs of buildings.

Heritage Area - Good overview available here including a few restoration of old houses. The Heritage is near the Corniche between Burj Avenue & Al-Maraija Road. Many historic buildings have been reconstructed with traditional materials. The most interesting sites are Al Hisn Fort, Literature Square with House of Poetry, Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, Sharjah Heritage Museum and Souq al-Arsa. Most sites in the Heritage Area have opening times set aside solely for women. Visitors of both genders should make certain of these on arrival in the city. Art Area - Includes Sharjah's Art Museum which covers regional and international art exhibits, with the oriental collection being its highlights. The Arts Area is situated opposite the Heritage Area on the other side of Burj Avenue. Other museums also covers marine, natural history, aviation, and other valuable aspects http://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/.

250px|thumb|Blue Souk

Blue Souq (Souq Al Markazi or Central Souq). An interesting, if slightly chaotic, shopping centre hosting around 600 shops in two wings. The ground floor shops tend to stock gold and expensive designer clothes, with the upper level containing shops stocking carpets and curios from as far afield as Afghanistan and Tibet. Haggling over prices in the upper-level shops will frequently attract massive discounts. A great place to buy gifts and …

Do

Jetskiing is very famous around summer time in the Khalid Lagoon. F1 Boat Races happen around the human-made island in the Buhaira Corniche sometime around December. Qanat al Qasba has a beautiful mosque right by the canal. From Al Qasba there is a ferry that gives a boat tour around Sharjah. Several different yearly festivals take place, and each one is a wonderful cultural experience. There are many fun activities at these festivals including camel rides, henna, delicious Arabian foods and dishes. In celebration of the date season, which runs from mid-May to mid-August, the Date Festival is held at the Fruit and Vegetable Market from May 15 to August 15. Cricket:

Eat

The ubiquitous shawarma is sold all over Sharjah and makes a very cheap and hearty meal. Khuboos made of wheat also a cheap food available at very cheap

Drink

Sharjah is a "dry emirate" which means sale or possession of alcohol within Sharjah is almost entirely forbidden. There are three exceptions:

Alcohol is available at the duty-free and business class lounges of Sharjah International Airport. If you have a personal alcohol license, you may bring in alcohol from other emirates and consume it at home. Also, it is legal to transport alcohol through Sharjah if your final destination permits it (such as from Dubai to Fujairah). Some police may not be familiar with this rule though.

Stay safe

Generally speaking, Sharjah is a safe place. Women are usually stared at in certain parts of the city, so bring a male relative or friend to be safe.

Go next

The smallest emirate, Ajman, is Sharjah's northern neighbor. Neighboring Dubai. The rush hour on the roads to Dubai is in the morning, so if possible, try to avoid going at this time of the day.