Abu Dhabi to Umm Al Quwain and Al Noor: Day trip

The Umm Al Quwain Fort, also known as the Al Ali Fort, was built in 1768 by Sheikh Rashid Bin Majid Al Mualla, the founder of the modern Al Mualla dynasty. The fort was the site of an exceptionally colorful coup in 1929. Sheikh Hamad Bin Ibrahim Al Mualla was assassinated by one of his blind uncle’s slaves. The townsfolk, not liking the new leadership, rose up and set fire to the fort, killing the usurpers, putting Ahmad bin Rashid Al Mualla in power. The fort has since been restored, and now houses the Umm Al Quwain National Museum. Here you’ll find dioramas demonstrating traditional Emirati culture, and an exhibition of archaeological artefacts. Keep an eye out for the old city wall behind the fort, which still has a ‘windcatcher’ tower.

The Al Noor Mosque was built in 2005, but its architecture is based on the historic Ottoman style. The 34 domes and towering minarets overlooking the Khalid Lagoon make it one of the most beautiful of the 600 mosques in Sharjah. During their Ramadan donation campaign in 2014, the mosque set the Guinness World Record for the "World's largest wooden charity box". Another distinction is that this is one of the emirate’s only mosques that is open to non-Muslims. Free tours operated by the Sharjah Centre for Cultural Communication inform visitors about the on the mosque's design, as well as Islam and Emirati traditions, and end with a complimentary Arabic coffee.