RAJEEV CHERIAN (AJMAN)

Serving as a gateway to the region’s rich past, Ajman Museum takes visitors on an immersive journey connecting them to the emirate’s heritage and identity. Housed in a restored 18th-century fort that served as the Ruler’s residence until 1970, the museum features a rich array of exhibits offering insights into the daily life, the Bedouin way of life, the agrarian past, pearling, and archaeological discoveries, among others.

Among the major displays is an excavated cemetery discovered in the Al Muwaihat area, which features pottery and funeral jewellery dating back as far as 3000 BC.

The ancient burial site on the outskirts of Ajman city is believed to be part of a Bronze Age culture that existed from around 2600 to 2000 BCE and stretched across the modern-day UAE and as far as Northern Oman.

This ancient culture is known as the “Umm Al Nar”, which means “Mother of the Fire”, named after similar structures found on the Umm Al Nar Island in Abu Dhabi in the mid-1950s, reads a display at the museum.

Pottery jars, ancient jewellery, and weapons ranging from swords, knives and various kinds of rifles, are also on display. Another section features manuscripts and historical documents, chronicling major events, and religious texts and literary works.

Adding to its cultural depth, the museum showcases displays offering insights into the Ajman Radio Station, established by Emirati national, Rashid Abdulla Ali bin Hamdha in 1961, at his house in the eastern sector of Ajman city. Considered the first private radio station in the UAE, its programmes were limited to the verses of the Holy Quran, religious guidance, poetry and selected popular songs.

The museum also displays agricultural tools, traditional kitchen utensils, garments, and items reflecting daily life in earlier times.
Additionally, the museum offers information about Al Murabba Watchtower, a key landmark of the emirate, which once served as the first line of defence for Ajman.

The museum is located in the centre of Ajman, next to the gold and traditional souqs, some 170 kilometres from Abu Dhabi.