Today's Edition
RAJEEV CHERIAN (KHOR FAKKAN)
Set beside a shoreline framed by mountains, the Hisn Khorfakkan museum tells the story of human settlement along the UAE's eastern coast.
Located in Hay Al Shark coastal neighbourhood in Sharjah's Khorfakkan region, it is an archaeological museum rebuilt to replicate the design of the original fort nearby, and is home to a wide array of artefacts, photographs, and recreations that offer a window into the region's history, enhanced by audiovisual presentations.
Khorfakkan, meaning "the creek of two jaws", takes its name from geography – a crescent-shaped bay flanked by two headlands. Hisn translates to fort in English.
Overlooking the Gulf of Oman and stretching to Al Hajar Mountains, the eastern coastal plain was formed by sediments carried from the mountains through the valleys.
Also known as the Shamaliyah Plain, it is about 75 kilometres long. It widens towards Kalba in the south and narrows near Khorfakkan in the centre, forming a crescent shape that extends towards Dibba in the north.
Kalba, Khorfakkan, and Dibba Al Hisn are part of Sharjah along this coast. Water in the valleys provides fertile land for agriculture and grazing, while the nearby sea is a source of food, making it a long-standing region of human settlement.
Water in the valleys provided fertile land for agriculture and grazing, while the nearby sea provided a source food, making it a region ideal for human settlement.
Through richly curated presentations of archaeological discoveries, the museum guides visitors through the Bronze and Iron Ages, the advent of Islamic era, and into the modern history of the region. Rock art found on mountains along the east coast also provides clues about the human activity and aspects of daily life in ancient times.
Artefacts from burial grounds dating back between 3000 BC and 2000 BC offer a glimpse of the region's life during the Bronze Age.
There is also evidence of copper mining in Wadi Al Hilo. During the Iron Age (1300-300 BC), copper continued to play a major role in making tools as iron ore was scarce in the region.
According to the museum, large quantities of copper slag, byproduct from the smelting process, were found in Kalba as well as the stone tools and crucibles used for mining and processing it.
During this period, domestication of camels played a great role in the emerging of land trade routes. People continued to practise livestock grazing, fishing and farming. Agriculture expanded, leading to the growth of villages and emergences of new ones.
During the Islamic era (630 CE to 1507 CE), the region became a strategic location connecting Muslim territories. Trade, settlement and urbanisation expanded and introduce new crops to the area.
The region's link to the Silk Route – a network of sea and land routes that connected trade centres from East and West – is also highlighted in the museum. Textiles, spices, precious stones and ceramics were among goods transported along these routes.
During the Islamic era, Muslim merchants controlled much of the incense trade, importing musk from China via the Silk Road through Sohar and Dibba to Basra.
The remains of Ceramics, considered luxury trade items, also affirm these trade links with China, whose craftsmen mastered the production of fine, white ceramic during the Tang dynasty. Arab potters admired the technique, which even influenced their own craftsmanship.
The museum also offers insights into Portuguese forts in the region and its part in resistance to the Portuguese invasion, in addition to Khorfakkan's defensive walls, forts and watch towers, mainly Al Adwani Tower and Al Rabi Tower.
A section of the museum is dedicated to weaponry, and a watchtower stands above it. From its narrow window, the view opens to where the coast meets the mountains and streets bear witness to the passage of time, pulsating with life.
