Wender·Vista
Sharjah
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited Arab Emirates
on the Persian Gulf, just north of Dubai

Sharjah

— — the quieter emirate, the older books.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The third-largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, sitting on the Persian Gulf coast just north of Dubai. UNESCO named it the Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 1998, and the title still fits. The Heart of Sharjah district holds restored coral-stone houses and the Blue Souk. Ruled since 1972 by Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, himself a historian. — from the studio

from the studio
Sharjah
— bring it home

Sharjah, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Sharjah

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Sharjah is the third-largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates and the only one with coastline on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The capital city, also called Sharjah, sits on the western coast just north of Dubai and holds a population of about 1.8 million. The emirate has been ruled since 1972 by Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, a historian who has reshaped the city around museums, libraries, and restored heritage districts. The Sharjah federation joined the UAE at its founding in December 1971.

— the stone

The Heart of Sharjah is a six-phase restoration project that returns the old town along Sharjah Creek to its 1950s footprint, using traditional coral stone, gypsum, and palm-frond construction. The Al Hisn fort at its centre dates to 1823 and served as the ruling Al Qasimi family's residence for more than a century. The Souq Al Arsah nearby is reckoned the oldest market in the UAE. The Blue Souk, built in 1978 along the lagoon, holds about 600 shops under two long blue-tiled barrel halls.

— the year

UNESCO designated Sharjah as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 1998, recognising its concentration of museums and its commitment to Arabic literature. The Sharjah International Book Fair, held each November at Expo Centre Sharjah since 1982, is the third-largest book fair in the world, drawing more than two million visitors over its 11-day run in 2023. The emirate's alcohol prohibition, the strictest in the UAE, has held throughout the modern boom of its neighbours and is a deliberate choice of the ruling court.

— where
United Arab Emirates · Emirate of Sharjah
— elevation
14 m · 46 ft
— position
25.3463° N · 55.4209° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km C
Heart of Sharjah
restored old town
2 km E
Blue Souk
central market
3 km E
Al Noor Mosque
Ottoman-style mosque
1 km C
Sharjah Art Museum
art museum
130 km E
Khor Fakkan
Gulf of Oman exclave
N
Sharjah
Heart of Sharjah
Blue Souk
Al Noor Mosque
Sharjah Art Museum
Khor Fakkan
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Sharjah — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Sharjah sits on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates, immediately north of Dubai. The emirate is the only one in the federation with coastline on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, through its eastern exclaves.

UNESCO awarded the title in 1998 in recognition of the emirate's concentration of museums, restored heritage districts, and its commitment to Arabic literature and the Sharjah International Book Fair.

Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi has ruled the emirate since 1972 and is himself a historian and the author of several books on Gulf history. The Al Qasimi dynasty has held the seat for more than 200 years.

No. Sharjah is the only emirate in the UAE with a full alcohol prohibition. The rule has held throughout the rapid development of neighbouring Dubai and is a deliberate policy of the ruling Al Qasimi court.

The Heart of Sharjah is a six-phase restoration of the old town along Sharjah Creek, returning the district to its 1950s footprint using traditional coral stone, gypsum, and palm-frond construction. Al Hisn fort sits at its centre.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well. The Blue Souk's twin barrel halls and the coral-stone buildings of the Heart of Sharjah are the images former residents tend to recognise first. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio travels nicely.

The cobalt blues, sand tones, and warm whites read well in Modern Arabian, Mediterranean, and warm-traditional interiors. The work also lands as a single bold accent in otherwise quiet Minimalist or Japandi rooms.

Yes. The piece sits comfortably in a majlis or formal sitting room, where its blues and golds pick up jewel-toned upholstery. A Medium above a low banquette or a Mural along a long wall both work.

A single Large reads beautifully above most sofas. For a longer wall or a statement above a console, the 4-tile Mural opens the image up; the 9-tile Mural is the gallery-scale option.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and rated for vertical wet installations such as backsplashes and shower walls. The Glossy finish is best kept to dry rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth and clean water. The colour is sealed beneath the surface and will not lift. Avoid abrasive pads or solvent-based cleaners; neither is needed.

Yes. Every WenderVista image is original to our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee, painted in our stained-glass and alcohol-ink visual language. No licensing, no third-party imagery.

— if this one stayed with you

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