Competitions, books market: Top 5 things to look forward to at Sharjah Heritage Days

Organized by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH), the event will take place from March 10 – 28 under the slogan ‘The Heritage and the Future’, authorities revealed during a press conference over the weekend.

The year’s celebration aims to link the past with the future and the event will see participation from 33 countries. The Republic of Armenia will be the official guest of honour this year, while Indonesia will be the distinguished guest, said authorities.

Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, chairman of Sharjah Institute for Heritage, and chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of Sharjah Heritage Days said, “The idea of organising these days annually is based on the vision of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who has emphasized on more than one occasion that heritage reinforces national affiliation.”

The theme of this year’s festival - ‘The Heritage and the Future’ – is a comprehensive statement characterised by current relevance and importance, explained AlMusallam.

Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), said, “The annual Sharjah Heritage Days highlights the importance of heritage in exploring the knowledge of countries, in creating human identity, in building civilizations and in preparing future generations.”

Rashid Abdullah Al Obed, director of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, and Abu Bakr Al Kindi, general coordinator of Sharjah Heritage Days, and Amal Al Hosani, head of the Media Department at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry also addressed the press conference.

Here are the top five things to look forward to at the festival

Books market

The Books Market is among the most distinctive additions to the event and was inspired by the Al Azbakeya Book Market in Egypt, the Books market in Tunisia, and the Books shops in Morocco. Here, old books and modern books of old editions will be sold, and bookbinding and restoration will take place. It will be hosted alongside the books market Café.

Tournaments and competitions

A total of 29 artistic troupes, nine of which are international – representing Bahrain, Armenia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, Kosovo, Spain and Serbia – will participate in the event.

Within the framework of the event, various tournaments and competitions inspired by popular games will be organized. These include the Tibra Sports Challenge and the 5th Gulf Al-Dama championship.

Exhibitions and cultural programs

The event will include four main exhibitions and 21 cultural programs. The Six Columns exhibition will honor personalities who contributed to the preservation of heritage in all its forms, while The Art of Making Clothes from Hanji Paper by the Korean artist Amy Lee will include 16 costumes made from Hanji paper.

Other exhibitions include Fifty Years of Sultan's Reign and Traditional Crafts from Lithuania. The Arab Heritage Center will host four workshops and three events, with the participation of 17 countries.

Emirati crafts and programs for children

The Emirati Craft Center will include various traditional crafts and planting workshops, traditional puzzles, and a cooking event hosted by local and international participants.

The Children's Village will offer nine workshops daily, as well as various programs and competitions for children, workshops for storytellers, children's theatre, and popular games.

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The four environments of the Emirates

This year there will also be a key focus on the four environments of the emirates, which are the mountain environment, the agricultural environment, the desert environment, and the Bedouin environment. These are - Kalba, Dibba Al-Hisn, Khorfakkan and Al Dhaid and Al Hamriya.

- reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah