On the ground floor, situated to the right of the Reception Area, the Islamic Faith Gallery explores the Five Pillars of Islam and the main principles of the Faith. The outstanding objects in this gallery include precious Qur’an and other religious manuscripts as well as architectural models and an interesting series of historical photographs of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mekkah al-Mukarramah. The star piece is a breath-taking Ka’ba door cover, known as sitara. Opposite the Islamic Faith Gallery, The Science and Innovation Gallery celebrates the remarkable achievements of scientists from across the Muslim world and their ground-breaking contributions to disciplines as diverse as Astronomy, Medicine, Geography, the Natural Sciences and Architecture. Scientific instruments as well as painstakingly re-constructed, working and interactive models have been assembled to give visitors the opportunity not only to study them but also to try out some of them for themselves.
To the left of the Reception Area, visitors are invited to learn about Islamic coinage, displayed in a series of prominent cases along the centre of the atrium.
From the very earliest examples minted under the Umayyad caliphs in the 1st century AH/ 7th century AD to those circulating today, Islamic coins contain a wealth of fascinating information that can lead us from monetary and ideological topics to themes as diverse as the development of Islamic calligraphy or the achievements of Islamic science and technology.
After studying the impressive coin displays, why not take a break at our welcoming museum café or browse the museum shop, which stocks a wide range of unique gift items not found anywhere else in Sharjah. Also visit the Temporary Exhibition Gallery opposite, which is scheduled to hold regular exhibitions of international standing.