Dubai: Away from the regular haunts for residents and vacationers alike, far faraway from malls and skyscrapers, there are numerous lesser-frequented locations in the UAE that provide magnificence, journey and tradition. As the nation celebrates its ‘Year of the 50th’, the 5 a long time of the union since its basis, Gulf News presents a vista of the UAE’s hidden gems.
And what excellent time to visit than throughout the upcoming lengthy weekend for Eid Al Adha. Private and public sector workers will get 4 working days off, in addition to the weekend.
Abu Dhabi
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In the emirate’s Al Ain area, there nonetheless stand 5,000-year-old Jebel Hafeet tombs. Excavations in the late Nineteen Fifties discovered relics housed inside these tombs. The peculiar buildings each have one tomb chamber, made of coarsely-cut stones.
Dubai
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Al Marmoom Reserve is an enormous open desert expanse the place birds, animals and lakes belie the harsh setting. The conservation, protecting 10 per cent of the emirate, is just not untouched by man, however quite is a crucible to showcase how Bedouin, the nomads, lived in concord with nature round a century in the past – as may be skilled in a mannequin village there.
Sharjah
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Ancient indicators of civilisation, together with findings that date again greater than 1 million years, have been unearthed in Maliha, well-known for its treasure trove of archaeological websites, 50km east of Sharjah metropolis. It is house to Mleiha Archaeological Centre, created in the neighborhood of numerous ruins and burial websites that date again to historic instances and Mleiha Protected Area, the place one can discover numeroous artifacts akin to pottery and different historic discoveries that replicate the emirate’s essential place in historical past.
Ajman
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Al Manama, an agricultural enclave, is thought for its surroundings, wild honey and historic fortresses. There can also be Masfout, surrounded by the Hajar Mountains, the place hikers come in the winter to escape the metropolis life.
Umm Al Quwain
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Ancient forts don’t exist simply on foreign money notes and cash. In Umm Al Quwain, one of its previous forts has been renovated and now homes a number of artefacts, together with relics from the excavated website Al Dur, which was a coastal metropolis till the third century. Al Dur (close to the coast) itself is barely accessible by permission from the archaeology division. Another historic fortress is Al Ali Fort, constructed by Sheikh Rashid Bin Majid Al Mualla in 1768 as the place of authorities and residential for the ruling household.
Ras Al Khaimah
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A centuries-old conventional souq (market) in the fabled Jazirat Al Hamra (Red Island) city is being introduced again to life. The souq is a component of restoration works in Jazirat Al Hamra — as soon as a thriving fishing and pearl-trading island of the 1600s that was deserted in the Sixties as most residents left for Abu Dhabi for higher housing and earnings.
Fujairah
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Reminiscent of the instances when a frontrunner’s residence served each as a house and a defence, Al Hayl Fort (typically referred to as citadel) is positioned in the Wadi Hayl. Commissioned in the 193os by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamdan Al Sharqi, it’s the place the erstwhile chief lived for round 20 years. Still standing is a fortified courtyard home and a watchtower.
