There is more to the Dubai Shopping Festival than just shopping, raffles and winning prizes. You can learn about the history of the UAE, hear the rustle of sails, take pleasure in the sunshine as it falls on polished wooden hulls, and learn about the historic craft of the Arabian Gulf — the dhow.

At night, the Heritage Village in Shindagha has a charm of its own. Watching the shimmering waters of the Creek by day or the reflections of the Dubai skyline by night, is an experience that is appealing and enduring.

Since the start of DSF, the venue has been bustling with activity every evening. Local artistes come to the village to display their talents. As you enter it, Shaikh Saeed’s House is on your left. Four elegant wind-towers distinguish this building that showcases the history and development of Dubai.

This was once the seat of the local government, the official residence of Shaikh Saeed Al Maktoum, father of late Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Shaikh Saeed’s house has an impressive collection of photographs, documents, paintings, lithographs and art objects that vividly portray the early development of the emirate. You can even see pictures of the Shaikh Saeed Al Maktoum’s House before restoration.

Attraction for tourists

Bedouin melodies drift through the air. Bedouin men relax in the hadheera  (seating area akin to the majlis) with a falcon and sip gahwa  (Arabic coffee). The camel, the ship of the desert and the friend of the desert dweller, is there to welcome visitors. Farooq Ghulam offers camel rides to children and others at the village. The Wilsons and the Hartree families from Perth, Australia, are fascinated by the old way of life. Eve Van Boheman, also from Australia, has been living in Dubai for two years. She is busy shooting pictures to take to Australia — memories of her life in Dubai.

Local architecture

Early architecture in the UAE was strongly influenced by the environment. Buildings were mainly mosques and houses with wind towers (Al Barajeel). These were rectangular or square ones built on top of the main rooms of traditional houses. Cross walls were built between the corners, giving four triangular openings to catch the breeze. They were designed to provide natural ventilation to buildings. Windtowers varied in design from house to house.

Plenty to see

Other activities at the venue capture the social, cultural and religious life of people in the old days. Traditional art and dance forms eloquently express their lifestyle. Young national men and women move around with plenty of enthusiasm, proud of their heritage. Men wear loose-fitting garments known as the kandoura with a dishdasha. Women also wear long sleeved full-length dresses, which is covered entirely by a black abaya. A shayla or a thin black veil covers the head.

A local band performs against the backdrop of the picturesque creekside promenade. From pottery to weaving, photographic displays, painting and drawing, to crafts such as woodwork, and tent making, there is a wide range of activities that keep local artisans busy every day here.

Exhibition on shaikh zayed

Pictures, portraits and films on the life of the late UAE President His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan are showcased here. The charisma of Shaikh Zayed cuts across all social barriers and generations look up to him with utmost respect. The exhibition highlights the developmental phases of the UAE and the progress of the nation under the dynamic leadership of Shaikh Zayed.

Helena Mark, a German tourist fascinated by the exhibition feels ‘great’ enjoying the display at Shindagha. “I have read quite a few books on Shaikh Zayed and have been deeply impressed with his personality,” she says. So also is Jutta Wohlei, a German tour guide and freelance journalist who cannot resist the temptation of visiting the UAE five times a year.

Food delicacies

Food prepared by UAE nationals tempt visitors at the Heritage Village. With their veiled faces and traditional cooking utensils local women go about their brisk business. Fatma Naqeb Sanqoor, a 40-year-old UAE national cooks her specialty, the loqaymat (traditional dumplings) with honey or date. Others cook the reqaq (thin bread) with eggs, cheese, margarine and the falazi bread with eggs, mehyawa, cheese or margarine. Thirty-two-year-old Fahima Hassan Murad’s speciality is the khamir (type of thick bread of wheat flour) and Al Chebbab (the local pancakes) served hot with date syrup, sugar or honey. Shebaa Alshamsy’s stall is an assortment of tangy and spicy starters. Serving an assortment of Al Ajar (vegetables pickled in vinegar, salt and various spices) and onions with lemon. The myriad colours and spicy flavours entice one to try out the local flavours.

The spice shop acquaints you with different types of herbs and spices added to food for flavouring. These are imported from India, Iran, Yemen and East Africa and stacked in large jute bags. They are weighed using an accurate balance and sold in small quantities. Black pepper, sweet pepper, cloves and cumin are some of them. Cardamom is added to coffee and used in the preparation of local sweets.

Shops sell foodstuff, traditional medicines and other consumer products. These market stalls are huts made of date palm fronds. In the old days people came to Dubai from the countryside to shop at the markets. Dhows would bring in supplies from many countries. Goods were weighed with stones of different sizes.

School children also showcase their handicrafts at the Heritage Village. They are trained in traditional crafts to ensure that skills are passed down from one generation to the next. They learn the art of weaving, metal work, basket making and woodwork from traditional master craftsmen.

Music

Music and dance are closely linked to the Arabian way of life. Men dance rhythmically to loud tunes reminiscent of the timeless melodies of chanting Bedouin poets and singers.

Among the Emarati Bedouin, the traditional dance Al Rasfah is performed by two rows of men swinging sticks in their hands, dancing shoulder-to-shoulder, while humming a tune to greet the wedding guests. It is like a show of strength and unity with the Bedouin dancing with their ammunition.

Ayallah is a stylised dance performance of a battle scene accompanied solely by drums. The leader of the group plays the large drum — Al Ras.  Its solid, deep thump sets the beat for the three smaller takhamir drums. The Lewa is performed to a fast-paced beat and features a pipe-flute called the mizmar. There are three supporting drums for this dance.

Diving village

The Diving Village records Dubai’s maritime heritage. Squatting on a mat, a suntanned man weaves a basket using date palm leaves. His rough hands show signs of the storms that he has weathered in life as his fingers deftly move to form the frame of the basket. Sitting close to him is another man who makes boat models with a sail possibly to adorn a showcase in a modern home. A fisherman sits mending his net nearby. These are forgotten scenes of yesteryears brought to life at DSF.

The dhow is inextricably linked to Dubai’s past when the pearl trade was booming. Daily dhow-building, net-making, oyster shucking demonstrations add a unique dimension to the Heritage Village. Story-telling as well as song and dance performances add life to the evening events. Static and educational displays cover different types of wood, their properties and use.

Through these displays one can learn about the maritime history of the region. It promotes an understanding and appreciation of this ancient art. That’s not all, a Marine Exhibition showcases locally available fish species.

Traditional irrigation

Al Yazrah  — a form of flood irrigation, wherein water was drawn out of a well and brought to the fields through channels to flow along the ground among the crops was popular in the UAE earlier. This crucial component of the past is recreated in all its elementary splendour complete with a well, an ox and farmer drawing water from the well and singing along with the creaking sounds of the pulley. The native method is a spectacle of resourcefulness, developed over many generations.

Lifestyle

Luminous gold chains, sparkling pearls and tinkling coins have for centuries tempted the inhabitants of the Arab world and provided the foundation for their jewellery.

Young girls, wearing traditional Arabian jewellery called taasah on the head walk around adding colour to the celebrations. Arabian perfumes take you through a journey in the art of perfumery.

During moonlit nights, the Bedouin gather inside their tents or outside on the sand dunes and social life begins. Around the campfire while eating dates and drinking coffee and camel’s milk, poems and tales from a rich folklore are told well into the night. Such scenes are recreated here.

Arabian horse exhibition

The Arabian horse is as much a part of Arab tradition in the Emirate as the camel or falcon. Great efforts have been made to preserve the true character of the breed with His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the forefront of these efforts.

An exhibition is dedicated to the history, mystery and magic of Arabian horses. It offers insights into their beauty, agility and heritage. You can learn about the origin of this breed dating back to approximately 2,500 years. The show offers information about references to horses in the Holy Quran and Arab poetry over the years. Arabian horses generally dominate the top-levels in endurance riding because of their incredible stamina. There are separate corners for interesting books on the Arabian horses, while documentaries on the animal are screened on five large plasma screens at the venue inside the complex. Horse feeds are also displayed in traditional earthen pots while another section is dedicated to horse tack. Also on display are select paintings on Arabian horses by various artists. There is also a live open-air horse show featuring stallions. Besides these, there is the Dubai Neighbourhood — a locality project comprising traditional houses reminiscent of the past.

A visit to the Heritage Village is fascinating, where from a larger perspective you learn that the world is indeed one family with minor differences in practices. The UAE is rooted firmly in its glorious tradition. As the country marches forward, its ties with the past get stronger for the past has shaped UAE’s present and will direct its future.