Al Sheraa Heritage Area
A 200-year-old mosque and one of the UAE's most important archaeological sites, in the heart of old Hatta.
Al Sheraa is a heritage and archaeological area in the heart of Hatta, distinct from the Heritage Village, centred on a mosque roughly two hundred years old. Dubai Municipality describes it as one of the most important archaeological sites in Dubai and the UAE, and it sits close to a palm plantation historically watered by the falaj irrigation network.
The area is being conserved and made accessible in phases under the Hatta Comprehensive Development Plan, the emirate's long-term programme to develop Hatta as an environmental and cultural tourism destination. An early phase of the roughly AED 2.5 million project focused on fencing, lighting and paving pedestrian pathways to give access to the site's attractions, along with a gate, rest houses and an information office — the groundwork for opening a fragile heritage site to visitors without compromising it.
Together with the Jabal al Yamh tombs and the Heritage Village, Al Sheraa forms part of the deep historical record of the Hatta valley, its old mosque and archaeological remains marking centuries of continuous settlement in the mountains.
Exhibo editorial
Al Sheraa is the Hatta site most people have never heard of, which is odd given that Dubai Municipality calls it one of the most important archaeological places in the whole country. A mosque two centuries old, archaeological remains around it, palms and the old falaj nearby — the actual heart of old Hatta, quietly being made ready for visitors.
That readiness is the interesting part. The restoration went in carefully — fencing, lighting, paths, a small information office — the unglamorous infrastructure of letting people near something fragile without wearing it out. It's a reminder that heritage here isn't only the big reconstructed village; it's also these quieter, older, still-being-uncovered corners. Check whether the current phase is open before you go, and treat it gently when it is.
How to find it
The Al Sheraa heritage area is in the heart of Hatta, Dubai's mountain exclave (around 130km southeast via the E44); a car is needed. As a heritage and archaeological site undergoing phased development under the Hatta Comprehensive Development Plan, public access depends on the current phase — check with Dubai Municipality or Hatta visitor information before visiting. It sits near the old mosque and the palm plantations fed by the falaj.
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