Sharjah Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Sharjah (الشارقة) [1] is one of the United Arab Emirates.
Contents |
Cities
Sharjah, Al Dhaid, Kalba, Khor Fakkan, Dibba Al Hisn
Other destinations
Sharjah serves as a base to visit all of the other United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate Of Oman.
Understand
Sharjah is an emirate geographically contiguous with Dubai, with daily traffic streaming to and fro creating long traffic jams at rush hours. People will generally live in Sharjah and work in Dubai because the cost of living is cheaper in Sharjah, but the best jobs are in Dubai.
Unique amongst the Emirates in that it has coastline on both the West and East coast of the peninsula. This is by virtue of being split into exclaves of Kalba, Khor Fakkan, and Dibba Al Hisn.
Talk
As in the rest of the UAE, Arabic is the official language, with most residents actually speaking other languages entirely - particularly Hindi and Urdu. English is widely spoken in shops, souqs, and hotels.
Get in
Most people will arrive either via Sharjah International Airport or Dubai International Airport. Sharjah centre is around 15 kilometres from Sharjah Airport and 20 minutes taxi ride from Dubai International Airport (dependent upon traffic).
Get around
There is no public transport in Sharjah, which means that visitors will need to have their own wheels or rely on taxis. Sharjah's taxis have historically been unmetered, and although some of these remain, several new companies operating metered taxis have become operational. They are similar in quality to Dubai's taxi fleet.
See
The emirate itself has some middle of the road beach resorts in addition to having the reputation for being a center of Islamic education.
The public buildings in the Emirate were all designed by the present Shaikh (a qualified architect) and make a nice visual change from the usual fare of skyscrapers in the other Emirates.
The "Blue Souq" (Souq Al Markazi or Central Souq) is an interesting, if slightly shambolic, 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 traditional goods. Considered superior to Dubai for carpets by Western expatriates. Another souq worth a visit is Souq al-Arsah (considered to be the oldest souq in the country).
The Heritage District of Sharjah city is dominated by the Sharjah Fort Museum. The fort itself has been lovingly restored by the present Shaikh, and the museum provides something of a glimpse at social history of the Emirate. Many exhibit signs, however, are solely in Arabic, with those in English often being rife with errors.
Also in the Heritage District is the Islamic Museum. This is a fascinating place for any visitors with an interest in the faith, as there are handwritten Qur'ans, letters from the Prophet to other leaders of the time and various artifacts from Mecca itself. There is also a comprehensive display of Arab handicrafts.
Most sites in the Heritage District have certain opening times set aside solely for women. Visitors of both genders should make certain of these on arrival in the city.
Do
Eat
The ubiquitous shawarma is sold all over Sharjah and makes a very cheap and hearty meal.
Drink
Whilst alcohol is sold in Dubai at hotel restaurants and bars, the same is not true in Sharjah, which is completely dry save for one establishment: Sharjah Wanderers, an expatriate sports club well past its prime but nobody really cares as it has beer!
Stay safe
Get out
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