Al Mahatta Museum (Sharjah Airport Museum)
Note: Al Mahatta Museum is temporarily closed.
Al 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 fortified building and was the first airport in the Trucial States although it was nothing more than an airstrip to start with.
Al Mahatta Museum
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. The negotiations included British shipping routes through Sharjah which would boost the emirate’s economy.
It started as a stopover en route to India and, in later years, Australia, but it was also used as an RAF base during World War II. The RAF continued to use it until the British withdrew in 1971.
Until the establishment of Sharjah Airport, 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 neighbouring building was a rest-house for passengers, with sections for two classes. It was actually fortified to protect its inhabitants against possible raids.
The design of the building was based on a similar one in Iraq. It has watchtowers with parapets and loopholes and the rooms all open onto the courtyard.
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,
Sharjah Airport Museum
The aircraft hangar at Al Mahatta Museum houses several old aircraft, including a 1962 VC10 and a 1953 Comet, as well as a section of an Imperial Airways aeroplane with the original cockpit, seats, etc.
The next section of the Mahatta Museum, or Sharjah Airport Museum, 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 which gives you great idea of how life was in those days. It’s a stark contrast with life in Sharjah today but so interesting to see. The documentary Air Outpost was shot in 1936.
Sharjah Airport Museum is well worth a visit. It will give you an insight into the historical development of Sharjah and fascinating information about the science of flight.
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Al Mahatta Museum Ticket Price
- Adults AED 10
- Children aged 2-12 AED 5
- Children under two free
- Resident Senior Citizens 60+ free
- People of Determination free
Al Mahatta Museum Timings
- Note: Temporarily closed
- Sat – Thurs 8am – 8pm
- Fri 4-8pm
- Check Sharjah Museums website or social media for timings during Ramadan, Eid and other public holidays
Mahatta Museum Location
Free parking is available inside.
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Other places to visit in Sharjah City
- Science Museum
- Sharjah Centre for Astronomy and Space Sciences
- Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation
- Sharjah Classic Car Museum
- Archaeology Museum
- Central Souq, Souq Al Jubail or Old Souqs
- Heart of Sharjah
- Sharjah Art Area
- House of Wisdom
- Islamic World Garden
- Al Qasba
- Noor Island and Butterfly House
- Wasit Wetlands nature reserve
- Aquarium and Maritime Museum
- Al Majaz Waterfront
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