Mleiha’s latest edutainment offerings open new windows

Sharjah’s Mleiha Archaeological and Eco-tourism Project is inviting visitors, especially the younger lot, for five new adventures they have crafted to enhance people’s knowledge and understanding of the Arab region’s history — shaped through the ages.

Through five new edutainment packages, the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) destination is poised to take guests on unique journeys through time during which they will experience, first-hand, the life lived by the region’s ancestors and how it influences our present-day life.

These distinctive experiences replete with fun, adventure and intrigue, are aimed at helping the visitors enjoy the destination and its activities, each time in a new light.

The guided archaeological tour, for instance, will allow people of all age groups to set off an incredible journey into the worlds of the past and enhance their knowledge about all the excavations and discoveries made by experts working on the archaeological sites in Mleiha. On the guided tour of the museum, visitors will retrace the history of the earliest settlers of the region and be surrounded by evidence of life — right on the grounds they stand on — dating back more than 130,000 years. Graves of humans and animals that have been excavated in and around these archaeological sites make for a surreal moment when one feels deeply connected with people of the past through sociocultural norms that have lived on for countless generations.

This 1:30 hour package is ideal for everyone, including school children.

The adventure continues with the fossil hunt expedition workshop, where participants can put on a palaeontologist’s hat and dig into human history with their own hands. Offerings include a fossil moulding workshop that will send one on an exploration of the remains of a 70-million-year-old seabed and read the story of our planet as inscribed on some of the oldest rocks. During this unique exercise, there is a high chance that one discovers actual impressions of ancient creatures — fossils.

The workshop is about 2 hours long, meant for children above age 8 who must be accompanied by parents or guardians.

The flora and fauna of any country or region is a defining feature, not only topographically, but also shaping the place’s identity — influencing festivals, folklore, and the future. The UAE’s Date palm, for instance, is a species more than 50 million years old and has an amazing story. The objective of this workshop is, therefore, to assist visitors in identifying the different plant and wildlife species that occur in the desert. After a short indoor presentation that will help one wrap their head around what’s in store for the rest of the workshop, one will trek Mleiha’s sites and surroundings with subject matter experts who will offer insightful information about species indigenous to the region.

This unique 1-2 hour long package is designed for everyone above 5 years of age.

An immersive journey including anecdotes on the ancient art of making stone tools will enlighten visitors. This fun, interactive workshop is designed to introduce participants to Palaeolithic / Neolithic stone tool technologies and study how early humans made such tools using stones such as chert and flint. A thoroughly enlightening lesson on some of the greatest migrations in history concludes with a short tour to the Fava mountain where the outdoor flint-knapping component of the workshop will take place.

The two hours of this workshop will seem fleeting and is recommended for everyone above the age of five.

One of the most captivating experiences Mleiha has crafted is a taste of the extra-terrestrial, that can be savoured via the ‘space camp’ package. Alongside the fact that some of the most gorgeous views of the clear night sky in the UAE are granted in this desert haven, this workshop is a dream-come-true for star gazers and hobbyists of the astral realm. On a surreal journey guided by telescopes and astronomy experts, one unlocks several secrets of the universe while trying to comprehend the vastness of the solar system. This after-dark adventure offers private classes in astronomy.

Spread across a leisurely three hours, this camp is for the space geek and the dreamer alike. Suitable for everyone above 8 years.