Bait Obaid Al Shamsi

The house in the Al Shuwaiheen neighbourhood was built around 1845, and owned by the merchant Obaid Bin Hamad Al Shamsi. Around a large courtyard there are 13 rooms on the ground floor and 3 more on the upper floor. Particularly interesting are the two rooms on the roof that face the creek, connected by a terrace. Their five long windows are framed with equally wide panels and decorated with charcoal-stained floral motifs.

Like many heritage houses in the area, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi was inhabited until the 1970s. In 1997, the building complex was partially restored, and a another restoration took place in 2017-2018.

The building complex can be accessed through three entrances: from Corniche Street at the creek side, from the street in front of the Sharjah Art Museum, and through a narrow passage way from the Arts Square.

Bait Obaid Al Shamsi serves as a venue for contemporary art exhibitions and events, artist studios and residencies. Beginning with SB9 in 2009, it is used by the Sharjah Biennial as a temporary exhibition venue.