Jazirat al-Hamra (“Red Island”) is the last authentic and traditional town still standing in the United Arab Emirates. Once a small island, its inhabitants subsisted on maritime and pearl trading before they abandoned their houses in the middle of the 20th century, when the rush to modernize started.

An undisturbed picture of life before the discovery of oil was left behind and preserved until today. This is a unique area for Ras al-Khaimah and the whole of the country. Jazirat al-Hamra shows all elements of a traditional town, including a fortress for defence purposes, a small market (“Suq”), several mosques and a variety of house types. These range from simple buildings to ornate houses with courtyards which belonged to rich pearl merchants. Jazirat al-Hamra is one of the best places to study traditional coral-stone architecture, used along the coast of the Arabian Gulf.