The Blue Souk is a marketplace in Sharjah, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It is easy to recognise from a distance: a pair of towers and a facade covered in blue tiles, set in the Islamic architectural style that gives the building its character.
What you will find inside
The souk runs across two levels and is home to more than 600 shops. Visitors can browse a wide range of goods, including:
- traditional carpets
- antiques and decorative objects
- jewellery
- perfumes
Because the stalls cover so much ground, it suits a slow walk rather than a quick stop. Many visitors come to look without any particular purchase in mind, while others arrive with a specific item to find.
Planning your visit
The interior is air-conditioned, which makes the market a comfortable place to spend time, particularly during the warmer parts of the year. Its setting in Sharjah also means you can combine a visit with other stops in the emirate, and the surrounding city offers further places to explore once you have finished browsing.
If you enjoy traditional crafts, textiles and Middle Eastern goods, the Blue Souk is a good choice. It brings together the tradition of the souk and the architecture of the building in a single, manageable visit.