Saruq Al Hadid Museum
Saruq Al Hadid is an archaeological site in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and stands as one of the most important and enigmatic historical sites in the country.
The very discovery of Saruq Al-Hadid is an exciting story itself. Back in 2002, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, chartered a flight across the Rub Al-Khali desert. As he scanned the vast dunes from his helicopter, he noticed a change in colour in one particular area. This would turn out to be the slag byproduct created from smelting iron during the Iron Age. As it turns out, the slag had come up and settled to the surface. Now visitors to Dubai have the chance to see and feel it up close in the Saruq Al-Hadid Archaeology Museum.
The findings on display here were found at an archaeological site on the edge of the Rub Al-Khali desert, discovered by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum while flying his helicopter. Ever since, archaeologists and historians have been unearthing thousands of iron tools, stoneware, bronze pots, precious beads, gold jewellery and fossils – now on display at the museum.
Opened on 3 July 2016, the building it’s housed in was actually once the home of Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, during the late 1920s. Nestled in the Al Shindagha Historical District of Dubai, it’s dedicated to the discovery of an excavation site that dates back to the Iron Age. When this building was converted into a museum, its integrity was carefully preserved. This can be seen in the contrast of the new additions against the authentic backdrop of what remains of the original infrastructure. The building is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, so everyone can enjoy this fascinating slice of Arabian heritage.
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