Bulgaria Heritage Week opens to a massive crowd

Sohaila Ahmed, Staff Reporter

The Republic of Bulgaria is organising a series of cultural activities, as part of “The World Heritage Weeks Programme”, organised by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage. The event aims to honour the culture and diversity of Bulgaria’s vast heritage and to spread knowledge of its importance for future generations.

The event titled “World Heritage in Sharjah,” is taking place at the Cultural Heritage Centre “Al Bait Al Gharbi” until Oct 20. The six-day event is expected to give visitors an insight into the various elements of the rich Bulgarian heritage, folk arts, music and ancient civilization.

The opening ceremony was attended by Khamis bin Salem Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Districts and Villages Affairs Department, Bogdan Kolarov, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the UAE, Ivan Jordanov, Bulgarian Consul General in the UAE, and a large gathering of researchers, specialists and heritage lovers.

The annual event, “The World Heritage Week,” was launched under the directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah as part of Sharjah Institute for Heritage’s activities, to showcase the heritage and culture of countries across the world whilst providing a platform for the exchange of Arab and international experiences.

Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage said, “It is an honour to have the opportunity to host Bulgaria as our guest this year. The beautiful country is known for its rich and diverse heritage, and we believe it is only fair to showcase the historical, cultural and architectural aspects the country is known for, so more people are aware about it.”

Moreover, Bogdan Kolarov, explained, “It’s a wonderful event because it opens the possibility for Emiratis to learn more about our country, and we’re thrilled to see so many people visiting within the first couple of days itself. During the course of the event, there will be many workshops where visitors can learn about our traditional dances, local food, and many others which can interactively involve students and visitors into the old traditions and heritage of Bulgeria. Hopefully next year we have will have SIH visit Bulgeria and showcase the emirate’s rich tradition to our people.”

Bogdan Kolarov exclusively mentioned to Gulf Today how pleasant it is that this unique event is organised, especially in the Emirate of Sharjah which that is specialised and full of such cultural heritage. It provides an opportunity to open up to each other and learn about our culture difference. “A number of students from University City of Sharjah and different schools will also take part in the organised workshops to learn all about the Bulgarian heritage,” he added.

Some of the other activities at the Heritage Week include exhibitions showcasing the country’s traditional garments, heritage artifacts, leather and metal products and give a peek into their textile industry. Attendees can learn how to sculpt on wood, ceramic and metal and also get their hands on some beautiful traditional accessories.

Through the World Heritage Week, the Sharjah Institute for Heritage emphasises the need to exchange knowledge and experiences that could help preserve each country’s heritage, as it is a major cultural component of the identity of people from countries all over the world.

On 15th Jan, as part of the World Heritage Week programme, the activities for the Algerian Heritage Week were launched, at the Cultural Heritage Centre “Al Bait Al Gharbi”.

The Algerian programme included a tour of the “Al Bait Al Gharbi” Square, offering visitors a view of the ancient architecture, Islamic calligraphy and plastic art (visual art). The event  also showcased Algerian traditional dresses as - Tlemcen, pottery, copper, leather, Al-Sorouh (The walking cattle in the dairy environment), as well as traditional dishes, the West House’s theatre and poetry workshops, folkloric performances, fashion shows, folk poetry, theatre plays and a short dramatization of the Algerian Tlemcen wedding.