Sharjah

A former market hall was converted, and the dome above carries the constellations. The science gallery gathers the instruments built by Arab scholars.

Several old houses were joined into galleries with the courtyards acting as corridors. During the biennial the exhibition spreads across the whole city.

Two blue tiled buildings under arches are joined by a bridge. Carpets fill the upper floor while gold and watches take the lower, and bargaining is expected.

A mosque on the lagoon built in the Ottoman manner. Non Muslim visits run on set days of the week and clothing is provided.

Buildings of coral stone and lime are being restored by the original methods. Work continues, so the number of lanes open to walking grows each year.

Arabic scripts hang by type alongside the brushes and reed pens used for them. Panels explain how the shape of a letter works with its meaning.

Bronze age tombs and camel burials lie out in the desert here. Overnight camps under the stars are offered, an hour from the city.

Restaurants line both sides of a canal with an observation wheel beside the water. Families fill it in the evening and the tables go quickly.

On the east coast, a piece of Sharjah territory holds an old mangrove forest. Boardwalks and hides were built for watching the birds.

The tanks hold only species from this gulf and the Indian Ocean. Pearl diving history runs alongside, with the fishing tools displayed together.

An installation where rain pours from the ceiling but sensors stop it wherever a person walks. The Sharjah Art Foundation installed it permanently in 2018. Move too fast and the sensors lag behind, so walk slowly to stay dry.

A lakeside plaza of gardens and restaurants along the shore of Khalid Lagoon. After sunset, families gather for the fountain that leaps to music out on the water. Al Noor Mosque shows across the lagoon.

The ruling family's fort, built around 1820, mostly torn down at one point and later rebuilt. It reopened as a museum in 2015, showing cells, old weapons and family records. Its low walls hold the heart of the old centre among taller blocks.

A small island in Khalid Lagoon laid out with gardens and sculpture, opened in 2015. In the butterfly house under its leaf-patterned roof, butterflies settle on visitors' shoulders. At night the light works switch on and the island changes character.

A park on the desert ridges near Mleiha, where marine fossils lie exposed in the rock. Shells and coral show that this land was once the sea floor. The pavilions sit low among the boulders and are hard to spot from a distance.

A safari park in the Al Dhaid desert, opened in 2022 and billed as the largest outside Africa. Zones recreate landscapes from across Africa, toured by vehicle. Budget around an hour by car each way from the centre, so set aside half a day.

A library and cultural centre designed by Foster + Partners and opened in 2020. A thin roof plate seems to float over the glass walls. An on-demand book machine prints a chosen title while you wait.

Native animals of the Arabian Peninsula gathered in a desert park off the Al Dhaid road. Sections run from the Arabian oryx to desert reptiles and nocturnal animals. You watch through indoor glass, which keeps the visit comfortable in high summer.