Sharjah

The third city of the United Arab Emirates and its self-declared cultural capital, an emirate that chose to rebuild its old town rather than sweep it away. Under a ruler who is himself a historian, Sharjah restored the Heart of Sharjah, the coral-and-gypsum quarter around the Creek, and turned it into a district of museums, art spaces and craft: Al Hisn, the ruler's white fort; the Souq Al Arsah, one of the oldest markets in the country; the great merchant house of Bait Al Naboodah; and the squares of Islamic art and calligraphy that won it a UNESCO cultural title. Around the Khalid Lagoon the city gathers its softer pleasures, the blue-tiled Central Souk, the waterfront gardens, the fountain and the Al Noor Mosque. Read the cultural capital, from the restored old town to the lagoon, at your own pace.