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Sharjah Archaeological Museum

Florian Buechting Museums & Exhibitions No Comments

Sharjah Archaeological Museum

10 AED
Sharjah Archaeological Museum
4.6

Rating

 4.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very illustrative overview of history of the area
  • Superb value for money
  • Interactive and educative

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Slightly remote location

One of the activities I can recommend most in Sharjah is going to a museum. I introduced you to quite a few of them already. Just to name two, I love the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization or the Al Mahatta Historic Airport Museum. They typically come with a great value for money at very low admission. Thus, visiting the Sharjah Archaeological Museum was really high on my bucket list on one of my most recent stays in the United Arab Emirates. Here is my review.

 

 

Sharjah Archaeological Museum – Location & Admission

The museum is located at the Sheikh Rashid Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Street (or S115) slightly East of the center of Sharjah. The Sharjah Science Museum is a direct neighbor, so that you can easily visit both places in one trip. The driving distance from Sharjah Old Town (e.g. Al Hisn Fort) to the museum is about six kilometers. In general, I love to explore the U.A.E. by rental car – a taxi would also be another cheap option.

The museum is driven by the Sharjah Museums Authority and thus very easy to visit. The opening times are 8:00 to 20:00 hrs on all days except Friday, where the museum opens its gates at 16:00 hrs. Please note that Sharjah Museums have very limited opening times during the Ramadam (Saturday to Thursday only, 9:00 to 14:00 hrs). Adult admission is 10 AED, which is less than 2.50 EUR.

 

Sharjah Archaeological Museum – The Visit

As all Sharjah Museums, the documentation is in Arabic as well as in English. The museum takes you on a round trip through the building, starting at the very early. The different time periods are separated from each other. Furthermore, the exhibition is explicitly designed in a way that you can learn about certain topics like Technology, Diet, Buildings and many more. There are quite some interactive screens, so that the visit is very interactive and can also be nicely tailored to your interest. Especially if you are traveling with kids, there are also some small challenges and games on the screens.

The first settlements in the area have likely been built about 125k years before, so that it is not too surprising that the museum nicely shows very early housing structures and materials. There is a lot of information – so in case you are a history or an archaeology buff, you should definitely not arrive later than two hours before closing. The museum does not only show items found in the area (or a few copies), but also gives you the local context. Thus, you also run into places I have been visiting already, like the excavations at the Mleiha Archaeological Center.

 

The collection given in the museum is really fascinating. The great presentation leads to a very enjoyable visit and motivates you to have a deeper look into some of the displays. I personally love to see prehistoric arts, for example.The more forward you move in time, the handcraft techniques and the materials feel to become more detailed and valuable.

 

Sharjah Archaeological Museum – Services

The staff in the museum was absolutely lovely and helpful. Free parking is possible ion the premises. There is a museum store with some promotional books, toys, but also some quite interesting stuff. The museum drove a small cafeteria for a group of students during my visit. I don’t believe this was the regular service, though.

 

Sharjah Archaeological Museum – My View

Another museum in Sharjah – another great place. Bad luck that the city is typically not on the bucket list for tourists – or the place is too far away from local traffic. The museum is driven with a lot of love and enthusiasm. Love it!

 

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