Mleiha Archaeological Centre
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You MUST go! If you are in the UAE, the Mleiha Archaeological Centre is an absolute MUST go-see-do! The centre brings together the best of all worlds. *Nature, flora, fauna* The centre is located in the picturesque desert of Sharjah where the majestic, golden dunes sweep against rocky outcrops that date as far back as 70-90 million years. These are home to a plethora of fossils. There is also desert wildlife – as a quick look at the tracks in the dunes will reveal the nocturnal hunts of the Arabian red fox. The Mleiha landscape is also dotted with flora – some indigenous to the UAE like the ghaf and sidr trees. *Adventure* You can learn about all these things and more through the different tours they offer. There is also desert exploration in a 4X4 – a gentle ride, or dune bashing or a dune buggy tour for the adrenaline junkie. We’ve enjoyed both options in a 4x4 and the hair-raising, scream-inducing dune bashing is a favorite of mine. You can also explore the outcrops – Fossil Rock and Camel Rock – in other ways. You can trek or go on horseback. In addition to the horseback tours, the centre offers training as well. I’ve started those and the trainer Ahmed Sarhan is excellent: gentle, patient, firm, attentive, present, and clearly passionate about horses. If you’re like me and you can’t get enough – you have the choice of camping overnight. It is great! You just show up and they have everything ready for you: tent with inflatable mattress and sleeping bag, majlis seating area - both covered and under the stars - a campfire set-up, dinner with grills, dips, and salads, and breakfast in the morning. I can’t say enough how fulfilling this experience is. *History, archaeology, geology* You can also learn about the precious archaeological finds at the centre’s excellent museum. Honestly, there is so much to learn, I’d like to keep going back – and take copious notes! The reason why this particular site is unique, not just in the region, but in the world, is because it has not one, but TWO Stone Age settlements: Paleolithic and Neolithic. In addition to this, the centre has some outdoor archaeological sites too, all worth a visit, like Umm an-Nar Tomb and the Bronze Age Tombs at Jebel Faya. You can also learn a lot about the region’s tectonic past through the rock outcrops throughout Mleiha. They tell a fascinating story. Picture yourself on a mountain, placing your palm on the fossilized shell of a marine creature from 70 million years ago. It’s mind-blowing. *Astronomy* There’s tech too in the form of a powerful telescope. We don’t just look at the earth, we also look at the skies. The centre offers stargazing and if it’s your kind of thing and have a smart phone or camera with you, you can take incredibly beautiful photos of the moon through the telescope. If you’re a passionate photographer, there’s plenty to photo document during the day and night. The last time we went our guide used his camera lens to zoom into the nest of Bonellis’ eagles high on top of one of the mountains. We even heard the chick’s cries echoing during the night as we sat around the campfire. *Workshops* As if it weren’t enough to experience all this wondrousness first hand, the centre also offers a variety of workshops. *In conclusion* All these are available in both readymade and customizable packages. I first went to Mleiha with family and friends in 2015 and I’ve kept going back. There is so much to see, do, learn, and the centre keeps updating and upgrading the experiences so that every time we go there we are so comprehensively enriched, we just can’t wait for the next time! Through it all, we’ve had the expert guidance of Anurag Amin whose knowledge and passion for the region’s history, geology, archaeology, and wildlife are in itself a pleasure to experience. Over the years Anurag has organized and lead our experiences at Mleiha with dedication and excellent attention to detail. It’s not an exaggeration to say that when we have visitors, we make sure we take them to Mleiha for an unforgettable experience.
Lara MatossianLara Matossian
20
Meliha Archaeological Centre is a visitor centre and exhibition based around the history and archaeology of the areas surrounding the village of Mleiha in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates. Built around a preserved Umm Al Nar era tomb,the centre details the excavations and discoveries made over the past 40 years at Mleiha and surrounding areas (including Al Thuqeibah, Jebel Faya, Al Madam and Jebel Buhais), particularly the important Faya North East find, which provides evidence that 'anatomically modern humans' were in the Mleiha area between 130,000 and 120,000 years ago. These finds point to the spread of humanity from Africa across the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf region, and onward to populate the world through Iran, India, Europe and Asia. The centre was opened on 24 January 2016 by the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.The multi-phase eco-tourism development is intended in future to comprise accommodation, a campsite and an astronomical observatory, with a total investment of some UAE Dhs 250 million. It will also include the development of a 450 km desert park. The centre was developed by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) The widespread archaeological evidence unearthed throughout the Mleiha area dates back as far as the Palaeolithic period, some 130,000 years ago.[5] This would place the habitation of the area firmly within the time when it is thought anatomically modern human communities first left Africa and started to expand globally. Later, as the last Ice Age gave way warmer climates, graveyards and adjacent settlements have been found which point to Neolithic communities who lived there from 11,000 years ago, with finds of tools at the location consistent with the Neolithic Ubaid or Arabian Bifacial tradition of 5,000-3,100 BCE. Civilization evolved during the succeeding Bronze Age from 3,000 BCE onwards, with elaborate communal tombs found at Mleiha, including the Umm Al Nar tomb, a feature is notable by its absence at the nearby necropolis of Jebel Buhais which otherwise represents uninterrupted evidence[6] of human burial throughout the known periods of human settlement in the area. The centuries that followed witnessed the introduction of the underground falaj irrigation system and the cultivation of dates and other cereal crops. The widespread archaeological evidence unearthed throughout the Mleiha area dates back as far as the Palaeolithic period, some 130,000 years ago.This would place the habitation of the area firmly within the time when it is thought anatomically modern human communities first left Africa and started to expand globally. Later, as the last Ice Age gave way warmer climates, graveyards and adjacent settlements have been found which point to Neolithic communities who lived there from 11,000 years ago, with finds of tools at the location consistent with the Neolithic Ubaid or Arabian Bifacial tradition of 5,000-3,100 BCE. Civilization evolved during the succeeding Bronze Age from 3,000 BCE onwards, with elaborate communal tombs found at Mleiha, including the Umm Al Nar tomb, a feature is notable by its absence at the nearby necropolis of Jebel Buhais which otherwise represents uninterrupted evidence of human burial throughout the known periods of human settlement in the area. The centuries that followed witnessed the introduction of the underground falaj irrigation system and the cultivation of dates and other cereal crops.
Varun Albert JoshuaVarun Albert Joshua
50
We came by this way on the way back from Hatta Dam. The building is in the middle of nowhere - at least that was how we felt because we took a dirt road via Google Maps to get there, and suddenly this large modern brown complex appeared. Proper large parking spaces. Well placed signages. We have been to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Manarat Saadiyat, and this feels like a miniature version of it. Would highly recommend this place for history buffs. The museum has an indoor exhibit area (aed25 per entry for adults) with pieces from Palaeolithic, to Neolithic, Bronze then Iron ages, pre-Islamic and to modern Islamic times now. The pieces are carefully curated to show the culture and rituals of that era. Am amazed there is such a rich collection here. Set aside about an hour plus for the indoor museum. The cafe was beautiful with floor to ceiling glass walls to let the light in. Not much more expensive than the typical cafes in Dubai. We had the pulled chicken burger, which was delicious. Do not miss the outdoor sites around this centre. We spent well over 3 hours driving around exploring. Bring plenty of sunscreen and drinking water. Noticed that they have also outdoor activities like organised camping and off road biking tours. Sounds great to tie in with this visit and make it two days road trip here.
Julie PanJulie Pan
00
We just spent our afternoon at the Mleiha Archaeological Centre and came back so impressed. We think that this place should be more talked about. The content is amazing. You learn a lot about ht pre islamic ear until the bronze era. The items exposed are qualitative. We loved the tombstone featuring bi-lingual funerary inscription in Aramaic and Ancient South Arabian script, found in Mleiha!!! It is a mesmerizing item from their exhibition. It is also so very kids friendly. Our daughter, 10 yo, loved it. She could interact with the content and watch short movies explaining how life was organized back then in this part of the Emirates. The visit is not very long but we learned a lot about the origins of the introduction of camels and horses in the region too. The staff working at the centre is so friendly and welcoming, we loved them too. We also found a nice café within the centre with nice menu for breakfast or lunch! Last but nos least, the surroundings also need to be visited like the fossil rocks and the eye of Mleiha from where you have a stunning view on the dunes and an incredible light at sundown. We will definitively go back there to spend more time and bring family members when they visit us next time.
Christine QUARTIER LA TENTEChristine QUARTIER LA TENTE
20
Lovely small museum, it has so much more to give than you would think. There is covered parking, then you walk 1 minute to the building entrance, your are welcomed by extremely friendly staff and explained how it works and what it has to offer. The museum does tours and events when you book in advance. Entrance tickets were very reasonable. I think it was 25 per adult and 15 per child up to 12 years, but not 100% sure anymore. The museum is not very big but kept us busy for 1 hour. Everything is very well labeled and explained, all screens are working, there is a video in english and Arabic, lots of artefacts and many written explanations. We took our time and read it all. It end after the iron age. there is also a very nice cafe, with a menu and prices like any very good cafe in Dubai. It's called maleiha Cafe. We didn't buy anything but planned it for another time. We could have explored the outside but we came at lunch time in March and it was too hot then. Restroom facilities are super clean. Definitely worth a visit.
A CA C
00
Spent a night camping in Mleiha & it was one of the best experiences I have been to in the UAE. The staff is super friendly and they took great care of us. My friend and I took the package with food and the mixed grills were delicious. We went stargazing (the astronomer/educator was SO insightful) & camel riding (which was tons of fun, our camels name was Sheila and her keeper was super nice too!) The next morning we got a wakeup call to watch the sunrise which was stunning and after that we went to the archeological tour (we had coffee in the cafe before that and it was really good) Our guides name was Ayoub and he gave us an awesome tour around Mleiha. If you are thinking of doing something different and want to learn something new, this is the place to go. A big thank you to TK and his team for making our stay pleasant.
Clauda AchkarClauda Achkar
20
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Archeological Centre - Al Khatim - Sharjah - United Arab Emirates
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Phone
+971 6 802 1111
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Website
discovermleiha.ae
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Meliha Archaeological Centre is a visitor centre and exhibition based around the history and archaeology of the areas surrounding the village of Mleiha in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates.
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