Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is a museum located in the Al Majarrah area of Sharjah that presents artifacts tracing material culture across the Islamic Golden Age, the Ottoman Empire, the Mamluk Sultanate, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the Umayyad Caliphate. The museum displays ceramics, manuscripts, coins, metalwork, textiles, and scientific instruments connected to cities such as Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus, Cordoba, and Isfahan, and institutions including the House of Wisdom, the Al-Azhar University, and the Topkapi Palace. It serves as a cultural hub for collaborations with organizations like the Sharjah Islamic Bank, the Sharjah Art Foundation, the UNESCO, and the British Museum.

History

The museum was inaugurated in 2008 by the Ruler of Sharjah under initiatives linked to the Sharjah Islamic Affairs and Awqaf Department and the Sharjah Museums Department, following restoration practices similar to projects at the Al Jahili Fort and the Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn Fort). Its development drew on comparative models from institutions such as the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. Early acquisitions included objets from auctions at Sotheby's, Christie's, and donations coordinated with the Department of Antiquities and Museums of neighboring emirates and the Qatar Museums Authority. The museum’s curation reflects scholarship influenced by historians and curators associated with Ibn Khaldun, the Caliphate of Córdoba studies, and research centers like the Islamic Manuscript Association, the Centre for the Study of the Islamic World, and university programs at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, American University of Sharjah, and Zayed University.

Architecture and Layout

Housed in a converted historic building on the Corniche of Sharjah, its restoration employed conservation techniques developed at the British Library and the Getty Conservation Institute. The exterior evokes traditional Arabesque motifs and regional vernacular seen in structures from Bastakia and Al Ain, while the interior galleries use modular layouts comparable to the Museum of Islamic Art (Berlin) and the Institut du Monde Arabe. Key gallery spaces are organized thematically and geographically, influenced by exhibition strategies from the Pergamon Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Hermitage Museum. The mosque-influenced dome and arches reference architectural precedents such as the Great Mosque of Córdoba, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock; climate-control and lighting systems draw on standards used at the Smithsonian Institution and the Getty Museum.

Collections and Exhibits

The permanent collection spans ceramics from Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Spain, early manuscripts including Qur'anic folios from Kufic script traditions, and scientific instruments tied to scholars like Al-Khwarizmi, Alhazen, Avicenna, Al-Razi, and Al-Biruni. Numismatic displays feature coins from the Samanid dynasty, the Fatimid Caliphate, the Seljuk Empire, and the Safavid dynasty, while metalwork exhibits include pieces attributable to workshops associated with Ummayad patronage and later Mamluk ateliers. Textile galleries show embroidered textiles from Mughal Empire courts and Ottoman kaftans comparable to holdings at the Topkapi Palace Museum. Special exhibitions have been mounted in collaboration with the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, the Pergamon Museum, the British Museum, Museo del Prado, and the National Museum of Qatar; rotating shows have featured themes from Islamic astronomy, medicine in the medieval Islamic world, calligraphy, and trade routes connecting Malacca, Kilwa Kisiwani, and Venice.

Educational Programs and Research

The museum runs programming in partnership with the Sharjah International Book Fair, the Sharjah Biennial, and academic institutions including Khalifa University, King Saud University, and the University of Baghdad. Public lectures have featured scholars affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, and the School of Oriental and African Studies. Research initiatives include catalogue projects modeled on work by the Bodleian Libraries, digitization collaborations echoing efforts at the Qatar Digital Library, and conservation training coordinated with the ICCROM and the International Council on Museums (ICOM). Educational outreach targets schools participating in programs run by the Sharjah Education Council and offers workshops in calligraphy referencing masters such as Yaqut al-Musta'simi and typographic studies linked to Ibn Muqla.

Visitor Information

Located on the Corniche near landmarks like Al Qasba, King Faisal Mosque (Sharjah), and the Blue Souk (Central Market), the museum provides guided tours, audio guides, and multilingual signage in languages used in the region including Arabic, English, Urdu, and Persian. Hours and ticketing align with cultural venues such as the Sharjah Heritage Museum and municipal sites managed by the Sharjah Museums Authority. Accessibility features follow recommendations from the World Tourism Organization and services include group booking options for delegations from organizations like the Gulf Cooperation Council and cultural exchanges with the Arab League.

Category:Museums in the United Arab Emirates