The Dubai Most People Don’t Know Of

I hover at the edge of a flat expanse of what could be misconstrued as a rubble filled building site. Everything about the place looks sad. Dead palm trees stoop like old men, while… Continue reading →

Sharjah Archaeology Museum

Archaeology, that painstaking science of digging in dirt, patiently brushing sand to one side to uncover unknown treasures long forgotten and deeply buried, is a quest to know where people lived, how they lived, what… Continue reading →

Christianity in the Pre-Islamic UAE

Collapsed and hidden under layers of soft creamy sand, the remains of a Nestorian church, monastery, and various courtyard houses patiently lay hidden for centuries on the eastern shore of Sir Bani Yas island, 170 km west of… Continue reading →

Wadi Sur

Wadi Sur, the largest man-made feature known in Ras-al-Khaimah, starts at the foot of the hill on which Sheba’s Palace was built, and runs for 7 kilometres in a straight line to Ras-al-Khaimah’s creek. It… Continue reading →

Ras-al-Khaimah’s Old Houses

Ras-al-Khaimah, in the not too distant past, had the largest expanse of date palm gardens in the UAE. Even though most of these gardens contained a house, not many have survived. These houses were either… Continue reading →

Fujairah Fort and Old City

A handful of tourists leave as I arrive. The guard hands me a map of Fujairah. There is no fee. Just a welcoming smile. What I presume to be a guide that speaks… Continue reading →

Hili Archaeological Park

During that magical hour when the shadows start to lengthen and the light turns soft and golden, Hili Archaeological Park is the perfect place to visit. The soft cooing of pigeons is only… Continue reading →

Wadi Al Helo

Nestling in the Hajar mountains, just off the E102 between Kalba and Sharjah, Wadi Al Helo is rich in natural beauty. The mountains resemble rubble piles that have been dumped long ago by… Continue reading →

In Search of National Treasures

On Sunday morning we woke up to an unusual quiet. Nothing stirred, except for the birds who filled the air with joyous songs. When we moved to this neighbourhood at the end of June,… Continue reading →

Wadi Kub

“Wadi Koob” the sign reads. “I wonder what is there”, I muse. It is not often that these signs guide one to the actual place it so proudly announces. Silence follows my remark as we drive… Continue reading →

A Place of Respite – Ras-al-Khaimah’s National Museum

Visiting the National Museum in RAK is not a very exciting experience when one is simply focusing on the exhibits. Although artefacts that were discovered in the area are housed here, and as a result, capture… Continue reading →

Destination Dhayah

On Saturday morning my poor husband got dragged out of bed again for a pre-dawn excursion. This time he had to take me to Dhayah Fort, just north of RAK. We arrived before first light and had… Continue reading →

Sheba’s Palace

  Sheba’s Palace, sometimes also called Zenobia’s Palace, actually has nothing to do with either one of these queens. They certainly were powerful and although rumour would like them to have visited here,… Continue reading →