Known for
Islamic architecture, museums and heritage souks around Khalid Lagoon
Must-see landmarks
Sharjah Museum, Al Noor Mosque, the Heart of Sharjah and Central Souq
UNESCO World Heritage since 1998
Cultural Capital of the Arab World, Capital of Islamic Culture since 2014
Getting around
A walkable Heart of Sharjah, with taxis or buses for the Khalid Lagoon
Seven galleries hold more than 5,000 artefacts tracing Islamic civilisation from the 7th to the 20th century, from Quran manuscripts and astronomy instruments to coins and calligraphy. It reopened under its current name in 2008 and calls itself the first museum of its kind in the UAE. Sharjah Fort is a 13 minute walk south.
Built in 1823 from coral stone with teak doors and mangrove branch ceilings, the fort was the seat of the ruling Al Qasimi family and was considered, in its day, the biggest and most important construction in Sharjah. Restored and reopened in 2015, its rooms cover the jail, defences and everyday life 200 years ago. Souq Al Arsah is a 9 minute walk.
Sharjah's covered market calls itself the oldest marketplace in the UAE, its air conditioned coral brick lanes still trading pearl chests, copper coffee pots, jewellery and oud perfume much as they did when Bedouin and Persian traders passed through. A taxi beats the 33 minute walk on to Central Souq.
Twin blue tiled buildings hold more than 600 shops across two levels and appear on the country's five dirham note, ranking among the city's most photographed buildings. The upper level trades textiles, carpets and crafts, while the lagoon side glitters with gold, diamonds and Bedouin jewellery. Al Noor Mosque is a 19 minute walk south.
Cascading domes and two minarets rise in Ottoman style over Khalid Lagoon, their interior walls carved with Quranic calligraphy. Open to the public at no charge, the mosque runs guided visits introducing non-Muslim visitors to its architecture and to Islamic and Emirati traditions. Al Majaz Waterfront continues 12 minutes along the lagoon.
Landscaped gardens and a lagoon side promenade wrap around the Sharjah Fountain, which puts on a lit, choreographed show after dark, alongside the outdoor Maraya Art Park and a run of waterside cafes. Entry is free. Al Qasba's canal picks up 21 minutes further along the water.
A kilometre long canal links Khalid Lagoon to Al Khan Lagoon, its free promenade lined with cafes, an abra boat dock and the contemporary art shows of the Maraya Art Centre. The Masrah Al Qasba theatre rounds out the district's programme, a fitting close to a day along Sharjah's waterfront.
There is no entrance fee to step inside: anyone can visit the prayer hall and courtyard, and a scheduled group tour walks first-time visitors through the building at no extra cost.
Sharjah's twin-domed Blue Souq costs nothing to browse across its two levels of textiles, carpets, gold and jewellery; only what leaves in a shopping bag costs anything.
Its lagoon-side gardens, promenade and musical fountain show are free to enjoy; mini-golf and other paid activities sit inside the same park.
The kilometre-long canal promenade is free to walk day or night, past cafes and the Maraya Art Centre's exhibitions, with abra boat rides and play areas charging their own fare.
No ticket or gate stands between the street and this market: anyone can duck in to browse and sit for tea at the coffee house without spending a dirham, unlike the ticketed house museums a few steps away.
The lanes and courtyards of Sharjah's restored heritage quarter are free to explore at any hour; its house-museums and the fort charge separate admission.
Sharjah is the UAE's third largest emirate and its cultural capital, a title UNESCO made official in 1998 and followed with Capital of Islamic Culture in 2014 and World Book Capital in 2019. It keeps a more conservative, alcohol-free character than its larger neighbour Dubai, trading skyscrapers for coral stone forts, house museums and a corniche wrapped around Khalid Lagoon.
By the federal government's own count, Sharjah holds nearly a quarter of all the museums in the UAE, most of them clustered in the Heart of Sharjah. The House of Wisdom, a library built to mark the World Book Capital year, holds more than 100,000 books beneath a cantilevered roof on the road out toward the airport, open free to anyone who walks in.
The Heart of Sharjah is the old town by the creek, its coral stone lanes holding the fort, the Islamic civilisation museum and the covered souqs. South along Khalid Lagoon, Al Majaz Waterfront and Al Qasba form a newer waterfront district of parks, canals and evening promenades, while the Al Khan Corniche further west carries the aquarium, and a footbridge behind Al Noor Mosque leads out to Al Noor Island.
Cooler, drier months from November to March suit walking between the lagoon and the Heart of Sharjah; the summer heat pushes outdoor time to early morning and evening. A single day covers the walking route above, and a second allows Al Noor Island, the aquarium or a day trip into Dubai.
The Heart of Sharjah is walkable end to end, and the lagoon promenade links its waterfront sights on foot. Regular buses and taxis connect Sharjah with Dubai, arriving at Al Jubail bus station beside Central Souq, and Sharjah International Airport sits a short drive from the centre. That short hop into Dubai ties Sharjah into the coastal run of what to see in the United Arab Emirates.