This is the gate to the museum which, unfortunately, was closed for the holiday. You can see the security guard walking away after delivering the bad news that we could not come in.
This is public art sculpture on a grand scale in the center of the street across from the museum. There’s a bow of a boat (behind the palm tree) and arches.
This is the view just a quarter turn from the last shot. I took it for the variety of colors the buildings are painted. It’s rare for a building to be anything but sand colored.
Here is the only graffiti I’ve seen so far. It wasn’t very imaginative. Apparently, the Vinny gang reign here. The graffiti was in English and Arabic and appeared to be all intelligible words, unlike American graffiti that is usually carefully crafted code and symbols.
Here you can see the public art in the background and the Vinny gang’s artistic talent in the foreground.
Archive for October 6th, 2008
Road Trip #1 – Second Stop – Ajman
October 6, 2008Road Trip #1 – Leaving Sharjah
October 6, 2008
So, following our exploration of the Naboodah house, we got back in the car and headed northeast again. These pictures are of the Sharjah coast line, sort of. There are three teardrop shaped bays. Here you can see the oil drilling structures in the background.
Similar to Dubai Creek, there are dhows and piles of cargo being shipped to India or other areas of the Arabian Gulf.
I’m not sure if this sign was in Sharjah or Ajman, but I thought it was interesting that we were on Sharq street. I’m easily amused and entertained. The houses in the background are referred to as villas. Here, you live in either a villa or an apartment. They don’t use the word “house.” The villas always have a wall around the perimeter of the property. Seems a little secretive, but it makes for a neat appearance and you don’t have to be concerned with whether the neighbor keeps his yard nice. I would have said “mows his lawn,” but that’s not common here.
Road Trip #1 – First Stop – Sharjah part 2
October 6, 2008Welcome to the House of the family Naboodah. This is part of the Sharjah Heritage Center. It is a restored house of a wealthy family.
The house is a series of rooms that surround an open courtyard. There is a partial second floor and walkway all around the top.
The extended family lived here and each of the doors above lead to a bedroom for each of the sons. There was also a game room for the children, a kitchen, a storeroom/pantry. I’m not sure why the toilet was upstairs, but it was.
Majlis seating is basically cushions and pillows on the floor. (Majlis = parlor or living room — where men would gather to shoot the breeze, drink coffee and smoke shisha). It was odd to see a wooden bed frame with the mattress up off the floor (just like a Western bed) with majlis seating down on the floor. (Sorry that I don’t have pictures of that. You’ll have to imagine it.)
(By the way, shisha is a very fruity tobacco smoked with a waterpipe.)
These are the lovely lattice works inside the rooms. These are on the top of inner walls just above eye level and provide ventilation between rooms. They are made out of gypsum.
Living the Travel Channel 