Cultural legacy shines in Sharjah Heritage Days

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Heritage area in the heart of Sharjah has turned into a variety of folk art panels picturing in every corner an aspect of the heritage and cultures of the people, reflecting the aesthetics of civilisational blending on the land of the United Arab Emirates in Sharjah, at the outset of the first day of the 21st edition of Sharjah Heritage Days (SHD) held from Feb.22nd to March 3 with the participation of 13 Arab and foreign countries.

The audience of the SHD saw, following the opening of the new edition, a number of local and international troupes showcasing some of their folk arts to the tunes and words handed down, and performing them in their folk attire that is consistent with the geographical environments, the ancient crafts, and their varied occasions, until they became a living ambassador for them and forming part of their identity and personality known among the peoples, which won the admiration of the attendees and aroused their interest and interaction.

Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Charmain of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Sharjah Heritage Days, said: "The new edition of the SHD carries a distinctive colour in terms of the nature of the participations and what the programme includes of events and activities that collectively form windows overlooking the global popular cultural heritage, and highlight the unlimited support of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and a living translation of his visions on the importance of civilisational blending between the heritage and cultures of the world, and enhancing Sharjah's leadership starting from its profound heritage and influential cultural depth, and its continuous and renewed giving."

Students take part in a painting activity during the Sharjah Heritage Days. 

The visiting audience of the Sharjah Heritage Days got acquainted with various other segments including workshops, traditional, artistic, entertainment, and educational games presented by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock of Sharjah, the Traditional Games Team, and guests from South Korea. These activities aroused the interest of all age groups who interacted with them by participating and enjoying the diverse knowledge provided by the specialists in an endearing entertainment format.

As for the traditional crafts segment, the Sharjah Maritime Museum supervised a cup engraving workshop, which enhanced the skills of the participants, both young and old. A variety of special performances of Gulf folk arts attracted audiences from various nationalities and age groups, particularly the Ayyala, Al Nouban, and Al Rawahi dances performed by four groups, along with another performance by two foreign heritage groups, and the audience between the facilities of the Heart of Sharjah as they interacted and took joyous commemorative photos.

The introduction to the art of Arabic calligraphy and its types, and the exhibition of artistic paintings reflect the beauty of Arabic calligraphy.

In the same vein, the Emirates Society for Arabic Calligraphy and Islamic Ornamentation, participating for the first time in the Sharjah Heritage Days, added diverse segments, including the introduction to the art of Arabic calligraphy and its types, the exhibition of artistic paintings reflecting the beauty of Arabic calligraphy, and the introduction to the calligraphy tools used by famous calligraphers. The workshops included writing the names of visitors and presenting them as commemorative gifts from the association, and a weekly calligraphy workshop for children will be held, presented by skilled calligraphers: Nada Al Mazemi, Anwar Al Halwani, and Mowfaq Bessal.