Sharjah and its Prime Attraction - Al Qasba

By R. Ramesh

If you merely think of sandy souqs, cross-eyed camels and idle museums when one takes the name of Sharjah, then you have got it all wrong.

The United Arab Emirates' third largest city - Sharjah - boasts of much greater attractions for tourists where modern hotels jostle for space with picturesque places of worship, mega malls vie with conventional souqs and Ferraris race past the Ships of the Desert.

A City of Contrast and Diversity

Yes. The city made a score internationally by hosting one-day cricket matches, especially between known rivals India and Pakistan, but it is not all just about the game. The cultural and educational landmarks that cover the emirate give an unambiguous picture that Sharjah is a city that strives to keep its traditions alive.

Do not forget that the emirate hosts 25 world-class museums, including the exceptional Sharjah Art Museum, home of a significant Orientalist art collection with pieces of art of historical significance. The Science Museum and Children's Learning/Discovery Center are a must for families as is the Natural History Museum and Zoo. The city is also fast turning into an important learning centre. The University City hosts institutions like the American University of Sharjah and Higher Colleges of Technology.

No wonder, UNESCO picked this emirate as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 1998.

While the focus is on heritage, the emirate has been expanding laterally with skyscrapers dotting the landscape. The din created by construction activities and jammed streets are indeed a menace, but which bustling metropolis is entirely devoid of such problems?

Al Qasba - Sharjah's Playground

If a visitor asks any local resident for a one-point destination where (s)he could soak in culture, dabble in art and eat to the heart's content, the finger will point to Al Qasba canal area.

Since its inauguration in 2004 as Qanat Al Qasba and the recent rebranding as Al Qasba, the vivacious venue offers families, residents and visitors varied entertainment options.

The star attraction at this location is the Eye of the Emirates, a giant wheel that presents a 360-degree aerial view of the emirate's corniche, lagoons and landscape as well as the horizons of neighbouring Dubai. Designed in the Netherlands by a specialist team, the Eye of the Emirates has 42 cabins and is capable of carrying 336 passengers at any given time. The air-conditioned cabins of the Eye of the Emirates take you steadily upwards into the sky, 60m high over Sharjah, and slides down slowly and back again to catch on the views that you might have missed earlier.

Just a few years ago, the wheel was visible from quite a distance, but of late, several skyscrapers have enveloped it blocking a proper view - a price of urban development.

For some, art is where the heart is. For such art aficionados, Maraya Al Qasba Gallery provides a grand respite. The gallery hosts a range of art exhibitions, cultural and educational activities. Here, art lovers can enjoy paintings, photography and sculpture displayed in a purpose-built 1,500-sq-m space. The gallery has played host to the creations of Syrian artists, Talal Moulla and Amira Hanna, Jordanian Mohammed Al Jaloos and many more. Maraya Al Qasba (Gallery) has featured exhibitions by celebrated international artists such as the French car designer Wissem Sousi, Italian artist Ludovico De Luigi and has plans to get in more renowned artists from all over the world.

"'The world on your plate' is the only way to describe the potpourri of delicious international cuisines offered at the restaurants and cafes lining the banks of Qasba canal," reveals Hessah Sultan, Public Relations Manager, Al Qasba. One can savour delectable delights- from Italian, Lebanese and Moroccan to Mediterranean, French and Portuguese-or take a pick among the series of street cafés.

Ask me what I personally admire about Al Qasba and I would readily blurt out the name of "Walkers' Zone," which stretches out from the Al Qasba canal area. This is one place I am in awe of and the location has been popular with residents.

It is a delight to see cheery people from different continents flexing their muscles for better health, bending bodies in yoga postures under a date tree or chatting loudly over a cellphone even while jogging along a scenic waterfront promenade. "Brisk-walking" sub-continent women engaged in gripping gossip are not an uncommon sight.

A walk from the Blue Souq around the Khalid Lagoon and over the bridge covers around six kilometers. The walk way is paved and shaded lawns stretch back from the water, making it an ideal spot for visitors to boost energies, battle stress and lose weight with exercises. It also helps one feel the pulse of a multi-cultural society. The UAE is known to host people of more than 150 diverse nationalities. Walking across, you may hear a multitude of languages.

Cycling and fishing are prohibited to make matters easy for joggers, but here again you occasionally come across brats whizzing past you on bicycles or anglers battling with patience after throwing in their bait. Once I almost got slapped unwittingly by a mobile phone user who was having a heated argument with someone while violently waving his hands up and down.

The area has been renovated recently as part of an AED23 million ($1 is AED 3.67) redecoration project. Over 3,300 metres of the walking track is now covered with concrete blocks. "I have been walking around this place for four years. The idea is not necessarily to lose weight, though I would love to. The daily exercise makes me feel good. And I love to see the smiling faces of different nationalities," revealed Firoza Sheriff of India.

For Ruqaiya Salim of Pakistan, the famous water fountain in the zone offers a "great relief." After all, it is stated to be the third highest water jet in the world.

There are flip sides too. Many callous residents dump leftover food, soft drink cans, bottles and plastic bags. There are bins placed all across the area but for some lazy bones lacking civic sense, dumping garbage outside the bins is easier than inside. That's precisely what they do.

There's no better way to complete a trip to Al Qasba than watch an evening performance at the Masrah Al Qasba Theatre. The venue provides a varied offering of music, film and drama throughout the year.

The theatre offers a stage for leading lights of the Arab World as well as international artistes who have performed there in the past, including the famous Oud player Naseer Shamma, Kamal Musalam, Spanish guitarist Carlos Piñana everything from traditional Arabian music to European opera here.

Located close to the Dubai - Sharjah highway, the leisure destination is spread out in a 10,000-acre area. Should anyone tell you that Al Qasba is the talk of the town in Sharjah at the moment, do not raise eyebrows. It has reasons to grab attention.