This week, Professor Willis took my group and me to visit the Mleiha Archaelogical Museum, another development promoted by the ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, showcasing the ancient history of the modern human in Mleiha around 130000 years old.
The Archaeological Centre is built around a preserved Umm an-Nar Tomb, pictured here, which held painted pottery, soft stone vessels, jewelry and metal artifacts like bronze knives and socketed spear heads. As the tombs would be used over 100 year spans, up to 430 individuals could be found within a tomb.
On a tour within the centre, I was able to learn about these tombs and many more cool facts that are useful for my understanding of the Arabian peninsula, how it was populated and how life flourished!
The Fun Part
Alongside a tour, the centre offers a host of experiences for visitors to enjoy and embrace the Mleiha landscape. My group and I went on a trip that included a energizing drive up and down the beautiful sand dunes with my driver Rakesh(25+ year pro😎), stargazing with astronomers, enjoying a barbecue buffet where I got up for a second and third plate of deliciousness as the we felt the serenade of a live oud(a traditional instrument similar to the western lute), invigorating tandoori rug and fire dancing shows, and tons of fun-flowing dance all at a campsite placed under the beautiful desert night accompanied by a cool breeze.
This desert experience was truly unlike anything that I have ever experienced. First off, I have never been in a desert. Feeling the two-toned sand cool in between my feet as I walked and ran my feet through it; watching the sun creep behind the horizon as the sky turned from a pretty blue to a blend of pink & orange, eventually becoming a deep noir as the stars showed themselves hiding in plain sight; and experiencing the freedom and serenity of nature not found our usual the city life for as far as the eye could see, there was sand and shrub that was cultivated and moved by natural processes outside of the hands of man.
I feel as if I got that much closer to each of the students that I am sharing this experience with as all of the activities of the evening radiated a great sense of community. We all marveled over the tastes of such a nourishing meal while having open ears to the light yet active tunes as we sat at the long dining table. Then the adrenaline of fire dancing hyped all of us up as flames were being twirled and thrown mere inches from our faces!! The end of the night was filled with an unforced flow of dance to the oud’s tune near the middle of the campsite as we pleaded for just one more song, never wanting the night to end.
While my words can only express so much of the time I had in Mleiha, I will never forget the feelings felt that night. Here’s a collection of some of the beautiful people and views I captured and described above:
4 thoughts on “3. The secrets of Mleiha”
That is beautiful! Make sure you are not always the man behind the camera, but also that you are the man displayed on the camera! Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful
I’m kind of curious about the history of the Umm an-Nar Tomb, especially because up to 430 people could be found within this tomb. What is the cultural significance of the tomb to the people of Mleiha?
Based on what I read on the walls and what was shared with us by our guide, Mleiha holds the oldest known civilization of the Arabian peninsula and is treasured by the UAE for it’s archaeological value of holding artifacts some 130,000 years old.