United Arab Emirates - Oman, UAE and Arabian Peninsula - page 618

HOP-ON HOP-OFF TOURS
Since November 2012, red double-decker sightseeing buses ( www.viator.com ; adult/child Dh85/45;
9am-8pm Sat-Wed, 9am-10pm Thu & Fri) have been braving Sharjah's traffic to deliver tourists to 15 of the
city's sightseeing hotspots, including the Heritage Area and Al Majaz Waterfront, on a hop-on hop-off basis.
Tickets are valid for 24 hours and taped commentary comes in English, German, Russian and Arabic.
Sharjah Heritage Museum MUSEUM
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( 06-568 0006; www.sharjahmuseums.ae ; Heritage Area, off Corniche; adult/child Dh5/free; 8am-8pm Sat-
Thu, 4-8pm Fri) This creatively curated museum goes a long way towards demystifying local
culture and traditions for Western minds. Each of the five galleries zeros in on different
aspects of local life, from living in the desert to religious values, birth and burial rituals to
holiday celebrations, marriage and wedding ceremonies, and folk medicine. An abund-
ance of quality original objects and excellent English panelling make a visit here a satisfy-
ing and educational experience.
Bait Al Naboodah HISTORIC SITE
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( 06-568 1738; www.sharjahmuseums.ae ; Heritage Area, off Corniche; adult/child Dh5/free; 8am-8pm Sat-
Thu, 4-8pm Fri) This 1845 house, a former pearl trader's home with a grand entranceway,
elaborately carved decorations and an ample courtyard, is a fine example of early Emirati
architecture and daily living. Head upstairs for close-ups of the pretty porch.
Souq Al Arsah MARKET
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(Courtyard Souq; Heritage Area, off Corniche; 9am-9pm Sat-Thu, 4-8pm Fri) One of the oldest souqs in
the UAE (which in this case means about 50 years), Souq Al Arsah once crawled with
traders from Persia and India and local Bedu stocking up on supplies, their camels
fastened to posts outside. Despite a thorough facelift, it's still an atmospheric place, even
though vendors now vie for tourist dirham with pashminas, dhallahs (coffee pots), herbs
and spices, old khanjars (daggers) and traditional jewellery in air-conditioned comfort.
Sharjah Art Museum MUSEUM
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