Meliha Archaeological Centre is a visitor centre and exhibition based around the history and archaeology of the areas surrounding the village of Mleiha in

Sharjah Sharjah (; ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the D ...

, the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

. Built around a preserved Umm Al Nar era tomb, the centre details the excavations and discoveries made over the past 40 years at Mleiha and surrounding areas (including

Al Thuqeibah Al Thuqeibah is an Iron Age archaeological site located near the town of Al Madam in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The site was originally excavated by teams from the Autonomous University of Madrid in the mid-1990s. Thuqeibah has been da ...

Jebel Faya Jebel Faya (; FAY-NE1) is an archaeological site and limestone hill or escarpment near Al Madam in the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE, located about east of the city of Sharjah, and between the shoreline of the Gulf and Al Hajar Mountains. I ...

, Al Madam and

Jebel Buhais Jebel Buhais or Jebel Al-Buhais () is a geological feature, an extensive rocky outcrop, as well as an archaeological site located near Madam in the central region of the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE, about southeast of the city of Sharjah. The a ...

), particularly the important Faya North East find, which provides evidence that '

anatomically modern humans Early modern human (EMH), or anatomically modern human (AMH), are terms used to distinguish ''Homo sapiens'' ( sometimes ''Homo sapiens sapiens'') that are anatomically consistent with the range of phenotypes seen in contemporary humans, from ...

' were in the Mleiha area between 130,000 and 120,000 years ago. These finds point to the spread of humanity from

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across the

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to the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

region, and onward to populate the world through

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

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and

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. The centre was opened on 24 January 2016 by the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi. The multi-phase eco-tourism development is intended in future to comprise accommodation, a campsite and an astronomical observatory, with a total investment of some UAE Dhs 250 million. It will also include the development of a 450 km desert park. The centre was developed by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq).

Visitor facilities and lodge

Bystro Cafe at Mleiha Archaeological Centre

Visitor facilities at the archaeological centre include a café and a range of guided excursions. Tours are offered from the Centre to nearby attractions, including the popular 'Fossil Rock', or Jebel Mleiha. A range of horse-riding activities target beginners as well as advanced riders. The centre has an education outreach program and also offers discovery packages for families, as well as hosting groups and corporate events. Currently under development at the centre site, the Al Faya Lodge is a small collection of luxury hotel rooms with a café, pool and spa, based around outbuildings first constructed in the 1960s. The Lodge forms part of 'The Sharjah Collection', a range of boutique hospitality locations managed by Mantis Hotels, a joint venture between Shurooq and Mantis Hospitality. One of a number of innovations being deployed to maintain the eco-tourism aspect of the centre is 'spray on roads'. The centre is open to the public weekdays from 9am-7pm and weekends (Thursday, Friday) from 9am-9pm.

References

{{Reflist Exhibitions Tourist attractions in the Emirate of Sharjah Archaeological sites in the United Arab Emirates

Visitor facilities and lodge

See also

References