Ras Al Khaimah - Best places to visit

The name Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) means  "headland of the small huts" and it one of the 7 emirates that makeup the UAE. It covers an area of 1,684 Sq.Kms and it is a fertile area of UAE due to plenty of water-supply from the nearby mountains. Historically known as Julfa, the city was founded by Armenians who escaped Persia during the Mongol invasion. On 10 February 1972, Ras al-Khaimah, under the leadership of Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qasimi, joined the United Arab Emirates. (http://www.na.ae/en/ourtresure/ff_saqr.aspx) l

PLACES TO VISIT in RAK

Jazirat Ak Hamra is two storey building belonged to a pearl merchant named Ahmed Al Omran and it is only part of a larger compound. The remains of the other dwellings that originally were set around the courtyard are still visible. The abandoned village of Al Jazirat Al Hamra in Ras Al-Khaimah and its coral-rocks and rope beams architecture have been crumbling since the 1960s. The coastal town is currently being restored as a cultural site and entry if denied to visitors. 
Location 25.70841, 55.79724 

Mohammad Bin Salem Mosque  ​is where the excavations revealed the presence of an earlier mosque, dating back to the second half of the 18th century (date as indicated by preliminary analysis of the finds) Historical records indicate a mosque was at this place since the 16th century, but earlier version/s could not be found owing to the confined test trenches. With respect to the later 18th century mosque, excavations revealed that it was destroyed during the British occupation in 1819/20 and that a new mosque was built on its foundations and it was further restored in 2013. Take a virtual tour inside the mosque here. 

It has undergone several renovations and expansion phases up to the present day. During the renovation work, modern additions were removed from the inside and outside and the original architecture, built from coral stone and beach rock, restored and provided with an outer layer of traditional plaster in layer technique.  

The most important addition, based on historical aerial photographs, has been the reconstruction of the original area for the call of prayer (minara). Situated on the mosque's entrance platform, it originally consisted of a raised platform and stairs secured by a mangrove poles' railing. 
Location 25.80038, 55.94835

National Museum RAK  is the old residence of the Emir,  the foundations and lower parts of which originate from 1809-1819, all further additions took place after the peace treaty was signed with the British in 1820. 
This two-storey  building 'Later Castle' and former residence of the ruling Quwasim family in 1987. Discover archaeology and artefacts dating back over 7,000 years at the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah.  
Location 25.79455, 55.94507.
A stunning gold pendant found at Shimal dating back to 2000-1800 BCE is now on load and display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. 

Location 25.79455, 55.94507.

Khatt the oasis town is famous for hot springs of sulphur water.The waters of Khatt Springs attain a depth of 90 feet under ground level with temperatures nearing 40 °C. Due to its mineral content and heat, the water is said to have medicinal benefits soothing skin ailments and rheumatic diseases and muscular problems. 
Location 25.61786, 56.01226

Jebel Al Mebrah is 1727 m tall and it has a prominence of around 300 m from its parent peak, Jebel Qihwi. It is located in the Hajar Mountains near 25°38′54″N 56°7′45″E.  

Hudaybah Tower - The lush and fertile palm gardens of Nakheel have always been an important source of food and water.  Many people lived inside these shady oasis and more came during the summertime, to escape the harsh heat and humidity.  They lived in mud brick buildings and palm frond huts ("Areesh"), but rarely in stone houses, which were only built by local Sheikh Families. 
Location 25°47'56.2"N 55°59'05.0"E. 

Dhayah Fort - the last fort of resistance during the British attack in 1819 over the tribes of RAK. It is surrounded by 4 other towers or 'Sur'. 
Location  25.88428, 56.06054.

Falayah - the 18th century fort served as a summer residence for the ruling Quwasim family. Surrounded by palm gardens, it provided a pleasant retreat from the town of Ras Al Khaimah during the hot summer months. Its historical importance dates back to the war between the Quwasim and the British / Omani forces in 1819.  In the summer of 1820 a peace treaty between the Sheikhs of the Gulf coast and the British Government was signed in Falayah.

Shimal ruins is the largest preIslamic site in the Emirates of Ras Al Khaimah. Situated about 8km northeast of Ras Al Khaimah town near the modern village of Shimal, it is easily accessible by ordinary car in a 15 to 20 minute drive. (http://www.enhg.org/field/shimal/shimal.htm) The site comprises a number of prehistoric settlement remains, a very extensive contemporaneous cemetery and a medieval fortress locally known as the "Palace of the queen of Sheba Queen Zaba (Zenobia of Palmyra, 3rd Century AD)". 

The area has been settled for at least 4500 years and its former inhabitants have benefited from its favorable setting close to the sea, pastures and cultivable lands. Fishing, animal husbandry, hunting, and horticulture were their main subsistence through the ages. But also far distance trade with Mesopotamia, Bahrain, Iran and the Indian sub-continent was certainly important. (http://www.rakheritage.rak.ae/en/Pages/Umm-an-Nar-Tomb.aspx) 
Since 1976 British and German archaeologists have uncovered a number of impressive monuments yielding artifacts that are now on display in the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah. This impressive prehistoric tomb (15m in diameter) is the largest of its kind known in the UAE and Oman. It is situated at the edge of the fertile palm gardens of Shimal and belongs to the "Umm an-Nar" period (2600-2000 BC) Meaning "Mother of Fire", it has been named after an AbuDhabi island where the first tombs of this type were excavated by Danish archaeologists in the 1950s. 
Fort location 25.81876, 56.03388. 
Sheba's Palace location 25.81921, 56.03281.

Jebal Jais - The mountainscape with high-viewpoints on your way up to Jebal Al Jais, highest point of the United Arab Emirates, at 1,934 m (6345.144 feet). With temperatures recorded as low as -3 degrees Celsius (in January 2009) )(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/weather/look-it-s-5-c-and-it-s-snowing-in-the-uae-1.1972708) when the entire mountain cluster was covered in snow, it is also amongst the coolest places in the country, often making ovenight stays here a bone-chilling affair. It now hosts the 2.83Kms long Zip-line (https://edition.cnn.com/videos/travel/2018/02/02/longest-zip-line-lon-orig-bk.cnn) Location of peak 25.93704, 56.13008

The top of the peak is now a restricted site as it houses the descending station of the World's longest ZipLine downward.  The line suspended 1,680 metres in the sky and reaching speeds close to 150 kilometres per hour on its descend. 

The Ruler's son, Sheikh Ahmad bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, was the first to trial the new 2.83km Jebel Jais Flight zipline ahead of a public opening, taking the plunge before an official certification by Guinness World Records as the longest zipline on the planet.  Carved into the side of the UAE’s highest peak, the falcon-shaped zipline centre is ready to use by adventure lovers on prior booking and permissions.