Sharjah’s Museum of Islamic Civilization is the only museum in the country to focus on the breadth of Islamic history. It is located in the city on the Majarrah Waterfront, right on the shore of the Sharjah Creek. It was opened in 2008 in the building of the former Souq al-Majarrah which has been transformed into a state-of-the art museum.
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization – the collection
The collection of more than 5,000 artifacts inside traces Islam’s course from the very early years to the spread of the Islamic empires through Asia and Africa, and explores the vast diversity of culture and art throughout the Islamic world. The artifacts include calligraphy, carvings, ceramic art,ceramics, coins, glass, manuscripts, metalwork, and scientific instruments.
The museum also contains art objects displaying separate facets of the Islamic faith and specific eras in Islam’s history. Some displays feature rare manuscripts and religious documents, and tourists will find them easy to understand thanks to excellent information boards throughout. The museum is divided into seven thematic galleries,six of them are permanent exhibitions.
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization – Abu Bakr Gallery of Islamic Faith,
Abu Bakr Gallery of Islamic Faith, displays a copy of the Koran of the third Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, who ruled from 644-656 AD. Also on display is a a Kiswa, the covering used for the Kaaba in Mecca. It also houses rare historical Quran manuscripts  as well as models, photographs, presentations and important facts about mosque architecture from around the world.
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization – The Ibn Al-Haytham Gallery of Science and Technology
The Ibn Al-Haytham Gallery of Science and Technology depicts Islamic scientific advancements, including inventions and theories developed by Islamic scholars in such fields as astronomy, medicine, geography, architecture, mathematics, chemistry, military technology, marine navigation and engineering.
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization -Islamic Art Gallery 1
Islamic Art Gallery 1 shows a wide range of artifacts such as pottery, metalwork, woodcarving, manuscripts and textiles, made in the Islamic world between the 7th century AD and the 13th century AD. Islamic Art Gallery 2 displays important Islamic artworks dating from the 13th century AD to the 19th century AD. Islamic Art Galleries 3-4 are devoted to Islamic arts, crafts and weapons used between the 19th century AD and 20th century AD.
Elephant clock
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization – Al Majarrah Temporary Exhibition Gallery
A seventh gallery, The Al Majarrah Temporary Exhibition Gallery, houses temporary exhibitions, with a regular roster of displays co-curated with other museums, ranging from Ottoman Masterpieces from the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest to Persian calligraphy from the Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia. It also showcases early Islamic coin collections in the atrium outside the Al Majarrah Gallery.
The museum features prayer rooms, a cafeteria, a souvenir shop, spacious parking, rest rooms and has wheel chair access for the disabled.
