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Kazuo Lim Khee Boon | profile | all galleries >> My Travel Album >> UAE - United Arab Emirates >> Sharjah tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

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Sharjah

Sharjah




Main CitySharjah


Sharjah is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The emirate covers 2,600 km² (1,003 mi²) and has a population of over 800,000 (2008). The emirate of Sharjah comprises the city of Sharjah (the seat of the emirate), and other minor towns and enclaves such as Kalba, Dibba Al-Hisn and Khorfakkan.

Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and is the only one to have land on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Sharjah is ruled by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Sheikh of Sharjah.

In addition Sharjah owns three enclaves on the east coast, bordering the Gulf of Oman. These are Kalba, Dibba Al-Hisn, and Khorfakkan, which provides Sharjah with a major east coast port. In the Persian Gulf, the island of Sir Abu Nuáir belongs to Sharjah. The emirate has a total area of 2,590km², which is equivalent to 3.3% of the UAE's total area, excluding the islands.

The city of Sharjah, which overlooks the Persian Gulf, has a population of 519,000 (2003 census estimate). It contains the main administrative and commercial centers together with an especially impressive array of cultural and traditional projects, including several museums. Distinctive landmarks are the two major covered souks, reflecting Islamic design; a number of recreational areas and public parks such as Al Jazeirah Fun Park and Al Buheirah Corniche. The city is also notable for its numerous elegant mosques. The Emirate of Sharjah is also known to be the Cultural Capital of the UAE. The Expo Centre of Sharjah is well known for the annual book fair that is famous all over the region. The Emir personally takes keen interest in this event which bring together hundreds of publishers from all over the world and thousands of titles. The Sharjah World Trade & Expo Centre was founded in 1976 by Frederick Pittera, a producer of International Fairs/Exhibitions, as the first mixed use facility in the Arab World.

Sharjah is popular for its rich and cultural place in the Arab region as it has won the prestigious UNESCO award of being the Cultural capital of the Arab world for 1998. The seventeen museums in Sharjah played a critical role for obtaining this award.

In 1976 Pittera brought the first floating Hotel Ship in the Arab world to Sharjah,the'St.Lawrence' formerly operating in Canadian waters as an overnight cruise ship between Toronto and Montreal. It was later replaced by another hotel ship, the 'Grand Flotel' which operated as a floating hotel in connection with the first Expo Centre he built at Sharjah. In 1978 he rebuilt the Expo Centre at the site of the former RAF airbase in the center of Sharjah City.

Sharjah also encompasses some important oasis areas, the most famous of which is Dhaid where a wide range of vegetables and fruits is cultivated on its rich and fertile soil.
Sharjah has one Omani enclave, the Madha territory, wherein lies an UAE exclave, called Nahwa.
Sharjah is a sister city to Dubai and Ajman (two fellow emirates) on both its borders. The three urban areas have now expanded to each others borders. Sharjah is about 170 kilometers away from the capital city Abu Dhabi.

Sharjah is the only Emirate in which the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol is banned. It also maintains the strictest decency laws in the UAE, introduced in 2001, with a conservative dress code required for both men and women. Mixing between unmarried men and women is illegal: "A man and a woman who are not in a legally acceptable relationship should not, according to the booklet, be alone in public places, or in suspicious times or circumstances."

Al Arsa Souq
Al Arsa Souq
Al Hisn Fort
Al Hisn Fort
Al Ittihad Monument
Al Ittihad Monument
Al Markazi Souq - Blue Souq (Central Market)
Al Markazi Souq - Blue Souq (Central Market)
Al Masqoof Souq
Al Masqoof Souq
Al Mujarrah Museum
Al Mujarrah Museum
Al Quran Roundabout
Al Quran Roundabout
Al Sharjah Mosque
Al Sharjah Mosque
Autour de Sharjah
Autour de Sharjah
Bait Al Naboodah
Bait Al Naboodah
King Faisal Mosque
King Faisal Mosque
Sharjah Corniche
Sharjah Corniche
Sharjah Iranian Mosque
Sharjah Iranian Mosque