Racing through history: Discover the wonders of Mleiha

Mleiha is a UNESCO-nominated World Heritage Site in Sharjah, UAE, and home to some of the most important archaeological discoveries including Bronze Age tombs, forts and fossils.

The Mleiha Archaeological Centre allows visitors to learn about the ancient settlers in the region and charts their history from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, Iron, pre-Islamic, and Islamic ages to the modern ages.

Hiking trails adorn the nearby mountains including the Valley of the Caves where guests can take part in guided tours.

Tharindu Wickrama Achchillage, Deputy Head of Operations & Tourism Development at Sharjah Investment & Development Authority told Euronews, “So [it’s] Neolithic… ‘neo’ standing for new, ‘lithic’ meaning stone. We're talking about new Stone Age sites. These are sites that contained artefacts like arrowheads and blades that were carved out of flint that we find all around us.”

Commenting on the many caves dotted across the vast mountain scape he added,” These were places more so used for temporary stays. So, storms and things like that, where they needed to hide away. Storing food, stone tools, things like that.”

Sheikha Nawar Al Qassimi is Vice President of the Sharjah Art Foundation. Having grown up in the emirate, she’s a keen outdoors enthusiast and regularly hikes the big trails. 

“It's special because it's right at our doorstep, first of all. And there are so many sites like this in Sharjah, there are so many spaces to explore, and it's quite easy," she explained. "You don't have to be like an expert hiker to come out here.”

With a rich history and breathtaking landscapes, it’s also one of the country’s top desert adventure destinations thanks to the rolling red sand dunes.

Off-road buggy racing is one of the most