Al Qasba – My Favorite Spot in Sharjah So Far

The Qasbah. Before I arrived in Sharjah, UAE, I’d heard these words only in song, when Rock the Casbah by The Clash became a hit in the Eighties. I’d managed to love the music without ever giving a thought as to what experience a qasbah might give me. A few weeks ago, I began hearing about the local qasbah and knew I was about to discover for myself the inner workings of this word.

I headed across the city to Al Qasba one evening last weekend and experienced my most interesting night so far in Sharjah. Here, the qasba is not at all like the definitions I found in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of (1.) A North African castle or fortress or (2.) The native section of a North African city. The qasbah in Sharjah is an electric area where a kilometre-long canal attached by arching stone bridges divides two white walkways brimming with people and lined with upscale shops, restaurants and cafes. At one end stands the Khaled Lagoon, lined by a wide pathway perfect for strolling and jogging and across which lies an awesome view of the shiny city of Sharjah.

At the other end of the Qasbah Canal I found an entirely different atmosphere than the peaceful waterfront, with one large area of children’s amusement park rides on each side of the water and a 60-metre high Ferris wheel called the Etisalat Eye of the Emirates providing a backdrop for a fountain built flush into the pavement, where dozens of spouts of arching water shoot up from the ground – a sight beautiful for adults and fun for children, who jump in fully clothed and play.

I’ve read that often a soundtrack will begin to play, the fountain dancing along to the beat of the music. I must see this. When I was watching the fountain, the sounds of the nearby mosque were the only accompanying music.

I headed to the qasbah on a weekend evening just because I felt like it, not knowing that this was prime time for this area of Sharjah. This was just the perfect occasion to experience Al Qasba for the first time, with hundreds of people milling about, the sun setting on the waters and the slow spins of the Ferris wheel decorating the sky.

I returned a couple of mornings later to see if Al Qasba had anything to offer during daylight hours. I’d read that some shops and restaurants are open here from 8:00 a.m. to midnight. The area was almost entirely devoid of people, though, with just a couple of ladies sipping drinks, another few people strolling about and the Eye of the Emirates at a halt. I’m glad my first experience at the qasbah in Sharjah was on a weekend night. And I’m thinking my third will be tomorrow!