Mahatta Museum, aviation history, old aircraft, old airport

Mahatta Museum is great for students learning about transport or the science of flight and is also an excellent resource for learning the recent history of Sharjah.

The museum building is in fact the original terminal and was the first airport in the Trucial States although it was nothing more than an airstrip to start with in the 1920s.

In the 1930s it became a major airfield after the Ruler of Sharjah and the British Government came to an agreement that allowed Imperial Airways to use it. It started as a stopover en route to India and in later years to Australia.

Until then, the area had been nothing more than salt flats but by the 1940s the British Royal Air Force extended the runway and it continued to be used until the 1970s.

A number of old aircraft can be found in the aircraft hanger including a 1962 VC10, and a 1953 Comet along with a section of an Imperial Airways aeroplane with the original cockpit, seats, etc.

A neighbouring building was a rest-house for passengers, with sections for two classes. You can find old photos of the airport, passengers and so on in the building as well as exhibits of pilots’ log books, aircraft engines, flight tickets, etc,

The next section hosts temporary exhibitions by Sharjah municipality.

This is followed by a fabulously laid-out exhibition on the development of flight, from insects and birds through to spacecraft.

Finally, there is a theatre showing old news footage of Al Mahatta Airport which gives you great idea of how life was in those days.

The airport museum is well worth a visit and will give you an insight into the historical development of Sharjah as well as giving fascinating information about the science of flight.