Mleiha Archaeological Centre

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.