Discover a world of culture…

If you miss heading out to visit your favourite gallery or museum for a culture fix, don’t worry – Sharjah is sharing its cultural highlights for you to enjoy in the safety of your home.

The cultural capital of the UAE, Sharjah is home to a wealth of museums, galleries and exhibitions, not to mention amazing outdoor entertainment spaces like the recently opened Madar at Aljada and Al Majaz Waterfront. While we’re still practicing social distancing, some of Sharjah’s most inspiring locations have gone online for you and your family to discover.

Here are six cultural highlights for you to explore.

Sharjah Art Foundation Online

Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) is offering a vast selection of award-winning independent films and cinema classics that you can stream online. There are also several workshops that can be live-streamed, plus DIY videos and a large video library of talks by renowned artists and curators. You can even access podcasts and audio content that focus on music, art, film and more.

Check out the Sharjah Art Foundation. 

Barjeel Art Foundation

Kadhim Hayder-Fatigued Ten Horses Converse with Nothing, 1965

Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah focuses on modern and contemporary Arab art. Now, on its website, you can check out a virtual tour of its latest exhibition called ‘A Century in Flux’, which has been put together by a selection of artworks by Arab artists. The virtual tour will allow you to look around the exhibition room, move to different spots in the museum, read captions on the walls, view paintings and more.

Take the virtual tour of Barjeel Art Foundation 

Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation

Curtain for the door of the Holy Ka‘ba in Makkah al-Mukarramah

The museum is one of Sharjah’s finest and most architecturally striking museums, housing more than 5,000 artefacts from the Islamic world. In partnership with Museum With No Frontiers (MWNF), the museum has put some of its most treasured pieces online for public viewing. You can find everything from bracelets to enamelled vases with verses of the Holy Quran, amazing calligraphy and more. Each item has a detailed description that comes along with it, such as the name, date of the item, and period/dynasty. Don’t forget to view one of the standout pieces, a curtain for the door of the Holy Kaaba in Makkah.

Take a virtual tour of the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation. 

Sharjah Art Museum

Take a virtual tour of the Sharjah Art Museum and view beautiful pieces of art from the UAE’s most famous artist, Abdul Qader Al Rais, as well as other renowned artists from the Gulf region and around the world.

Take the virtual tour of the Sharjah Art Museum. 

Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth 

Still from ‘A Hole’

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You may not be able to head to the cinema at the moment, but you can catch the Sharjah International Film Festival for children and youth online from now until May 31. A curated selection of films will be available on the website to stream for free. Some of the films you have to add to your list are Kuwaiti feature film ‘A Picture’ and ‘The Chocolate Soldier’ from the US.

Watch highlights from the Sharjah International Film Festival. 

Mleiha

One of the most important archaeological areas in the UAE, Mleiha is truly spectacular. When open, it is definitely worth the drive deep into the deserts of Sharjah, but for now, check out this VR footage taken from someone paragliding above the dunes.

Watch the VR footage of Mleiha. 

Images: Provided/stills