The Blue Souk — officially called the Central Market — is the most architecturally interesting shopping destination in Sharjah, a two-storey complex with blue mosaic-tiled arched facades that looks vaguely like a cross between an Ottoman bazaar and an airport terminal. About 600 shops are spread across two parallel buildings connected by bridges, selling carpets, gold, jewellery, textiles, electronics, and traditional crafts.
The carpet section is particularly strong — dealers from Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia have stalls here, and the variety and quality are well above what you would find in a standard mall. Gold prices are competitive. The building is air-conditioned and the atmosphere is more traditional than a modern shopping mall; the bustle of negotiation and the range of nationalities among both shoppers and sellers make it a genuinely interesting place to spend an hour.