Sharjah - A Pictorial Souvenir

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Sharjah A P I C T O R I A L S O U V E N I R





Sharjah A P I C T O R I A L S O U V E N I R



Published by Motivate Publishing

Dubai: PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE Tel: (+971) 4 282 4060, fax: (+971) 4 282 0428e-mail: [email protected] www.booksarabia.com

Office 508, Building No 8, Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE Tel: (+971) 4 390 3550, fax: (+971) 4 390 4845

Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE Tel: (+971) 2 627 1666, fax: (+971) 2 627 1566

London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ERe-mail: [email protected]

Researched and written by Pippa Sanderson

Directors: Obaid Humaid Al Tayer and Ian FairserviceSenior Editor: David SteeleEditor: Pippa Sanderson

Assistant Editor: Zelda PintoSenior Designer: Andrea WillmoreBook Publishing Manager: Jeremy Brinton

© Motivate Publishing 2005

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form(including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means) without the writtenpermission of the copyright holder. Applications for the copyright holder’s written permissionto reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publishers. In accordance

with the International Copyright Act 1956 and the UAE Federal Copyright Law No 40 of 1992, any person acting in contravention of this will be liable to criminal prosecution and civil

claims for damages.

ISBN: 1 86063 172 X

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is availablefrom the British Library.

Printed by Rashid Printers & Stationers LLC, Ajman, United Arab Emirates



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Cover: The Central Souk sits alongside Khaled Lagoon and provides a

traditionally Arabian shopping experience.Half-title page: The Unesco monument located on the Dhaid Road. Title page: The elegant Qanat al-Qasba is one of Sharjah’s main

attractions, providing energetic, wholesome family entertainment.

This page: The desert has been a constant companion to the peoples of

Arabia ever since they migrated to the area some 7,000 years ago.

Photographic credits

Gulf News: 77B

Motivate Publishing: 55T, 61T&B, 72T

Gawade, Vikram: 2

Gwanny, Fadi: 1, 12, 13B, 16T, 17T&B, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53

Sanderson, Pippa: 8/9, 13T, 15T, 16B, 18/19, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 32,

32/33T, 33B, 36, 37, 42T, 43T&B, 56/57, 59T&B, 60, 62, 73, 74/75, 75T,

76B, 78, 79T&B

Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority: 40/41, 80B

Steele, David: Front cover, 4/5, 14, 15B, 25, 27T&B, 28/29, 34/35, 38/39,

41, 42B, 44/45, 48/49, 54, 55B, 58, 63T&B, 64/65, 68/69, 69, 70/71, 71,

72B, 75B, 76T, 77T, 80T

T: top; B: bottom; L: left; R: right



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Introduction His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah

n a country where history is measured most often in terms of decades,

every cultural asset becomes precious. Preserving the fragile traces of past heritage remains essential to cultivating a national identity and to

maintaining localised distinctions.

Civilisation is much more than simply buildings and basic infrastructure; it

includes the rituals, beliefs and historical heritage that are inextricably linked

to a place. Proudly, the Emirate of Sharjah has established itself as a curator

of heritage for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Indeed, in 1998, Sharjah was

named the ‘Cultural Capital of the Arab World’ by Unesco; an honour richly

deserved. Instead of simply maintaining the past as a dusty story to be told toschool children, Sharjah has kept the spirit of its history alive by innovatively

incorporating tradition – both Islamic and pre-Islamic – into every aspect

of contemporary development. The result is a vibrant, modern emirate that

simultaneously looks forward to a bright future as it looks back respectfully to

its history.

The deliberate efforts to preserve and conserve, restore and renovate

historic old buildings has obviously been appreciated by a global organisation

such as Unesco. This is a well-earned tribute to the humanitarian values thatunderlie the national ethos. There is a quiet pride in this achievement. Even as

business grows, the protection and preservation of the past provides a sobering

and balancing counterpart. The architecture of even modern constructions

blends with the culture of the past; there is an old-world ambience that very

few urban cities have maintained.

Creative thinking made Sharjah a pioneer in the field of education in the

Emirates. It began back in 1953 when the first properly organised school was

established in the old city. This was just the beginning. With the foresight

of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah has

become one of the most important learning centres in the Middle East and

one only has to visit the impressive University City to understand the vision

that lies behind this achievement.

Under the direction of His Highness, the third-largest emirate in the

UAE has taken giant strides in creating a viable infrastructure for business,

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education and cultural activities. Sharjah is now recognised as the cultural

capital of the Arab World as well as the prime commercial hub of the

region. The successful combination of the values of the past with the hi-tech

advantages of modern and sophisticated systems has created a special ethos for

Sharjah. The emirate is confident and convinced about achieving even higher

goals under the guidance of its highly erudite Ruler, who is also a man of

letters, an expert in agricultural matters and a man whose policies encompass

a pragmatism and a practicality even as they espouse the best developments of

the new world.

The arts are also given a lot of prominence in Sharjah’s scheme of things.

Theatre, music, painting and sculpture are encouraged, as is literature.

A multi-dimensional education system with a wide and varied network of

schools and institutions has played a pivotal role too in the development of Sharjah. With some exceptionally good educational institutions housed at

University City, Sharjah is becoming one of the most important centres of

learning in the region.

Sharjah’s rich and varied cultural and commercial achievements have a

strong and traditional depth to them. There is that gentle juxtaposition of the

modern with the medieval and yet it does not jar. This accent on maintaining

its roots while enjoying the fruits of technology is the life motif which truly

and commendably distinguishes Sharjah.

Sultan bin Mohammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi



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Inspired by tradition Inspired by tradition





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harjah, meaning ‘rising sun’, dates back more

than 6,000 years and appears as early as thesecond-century AD in a map drawn by the

Greek geographer Ptolemy, which indicates the settle-

ment of Sarcoa where Sharjah can now be found. In1490 AD, Sharjah was mentioned in written recordspenned by the famous Arab navigator, Ahmad ibn Majid,

as he navigated the Gulf’s waters.Life before the discovery of oil was hard and finely

balanced, with livings made through maritime trade,farming, goat-herding, hunting, pearl-diving and fishing.

Modern Sharjah is built on foundations rich in

history and Islamic traditions: Arabian heritage is stillrecognised with pride and ancient customs are stillpractised in everyday life. Most notably, many nationals

still wear traditional dress, adapted to religious beliefsand high temperatures. The men wear a kandoura (an

ankle-length, loose-fitting white shirt-dress) and gutra (acotton headcloth) held in place by an igal (woollenheadrope), while women wear an abaya (a long-sleeved,

full-length black dress). The hair is covered with a shayla (scarf) and the face may also be covered by a gishwa (thin

veil). Some women – usually the older generation – weara bur qa (a stiff material face mask which covers the eye-

brows, nose and mouth) instead of a veil.Since the discovery of oil, Sharjah has blossomed

from a small huddle of palm-frond ‘arish (barasti ) houses

hugging the creeks, to a modern city that extends all the way to the UAE’s East Coast. Modern development took

off in the early 1970s, when oil revenues were ploughedback into the infrastructure, resulting in the rapid

expansion of the town and emirate as a whole. Although very much a 21st-century city, the tenets of

Islam have been preserved throughout. In the city named as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World by

Unesco in 1998 (an obelisk on the road to Dhaidhonours this achievement), more than 20 museums and

heritage areas provide the perfect platform to showcasethe arts, crafts, traditions and importance of Islam in the

lifestyles of the people in this most fascinating of cities.One such museum is the majlis of Ibrahim Mohammed

Al Midfa, home to the UAE’s only round windtower.

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Another is the Sharjah Husn, the Ruler’s home built

in 1820. It was almost completely demolished in the1970s when the emirate’s tide of modernity threatened

to engulf it, but was saved at the 11th hour by the Ruler,

HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, whorestored it to its former glory.

King Abdul Aziz Street, in the centre of the city and

some 1.5 kilometres away from the Husn, was once therunway for the first airport in the Gulf region, built by

the British in 1932 as a staging post en route to India and Australia. It remained in use until 1977 when expansion

forced its relocation inland. Fortunately, the control

tower and hangars have been preserved as the Al Mahatah Museum, which now attracts visitors withaviation displays and inventions from a bygone era.

Al Rolla Square is home to one of Sharjah’s many sculptures, a fascinating piece of art representing a 200-

year-old rolla tree that once stood there. Providing shadeand a focal point for people to meet, the old tree, unfor-

tunately, fell foul to urban development. The goods on offer at Sharjah’s many souks may have

expanded from spices and silks to include electronicgoods and ready-made garments, but the hubbub of

eager buyers and sellers remains the same, whatever thedecade; whatever the century. The Central Souk (or Blue

Souk) adjacent to Khaled Lagoon is probably the most visited, but the Suq al-Arsah, the Horticulture Souk and

the Fish Souk should not be missed. As much a part of Arab heritage as souks are camels

and on any journey into the interior you’ll see them wandering alongside – and sometimes on – the road.

Once the most cherished possession of the nomadicBedu tribes, camels remain highly prized animals today.

Traditional festivals are also strictly observed, theprincipal religious event being Ramadan, the Holy

Month in which Muslims commemorate the revelationof the Qur’an. With its timing fixed by the moon, the

event, which moves forward 11 days each year, is aperiod of fasting from dawn to dusk, when Muslims

refrain from eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum.Non-Muslims are expected to observe these rules in

public as a mark of respect.

Iftar – at sunset – heralds the end of the day’s fasting

and it’s not unusual to find cars pulled over to the side of the road, their drivers tucking into a traditional iftar

snack of dates and water. Eid al-Fitr, the feast marking

the end of Ramadan, lasts for three or four days and is atime for people to get together and exchange gifts.

Sharjah’s University City, a vast out-of-town six-

campus development near the airport, was founded in1997 and consists of the American University of Sharjah

(AUS), Sharjah Men’s University, Sharjah Women’sUniversity, the Higher Colleges of Technology for Men,

the Higher Colleges of Technology for Women and

Sharjah Police Academy. It should be visited for itsarchitecture alone, which is heavily influenced by thetraditions of Arabia.

Previous spread: Sharjah Husn, rebuilt by the Ruler, HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi in the 1970s. He

used traditional methods, but included modern necessities suchas air-conditioning where necessary. The numerous forts dotted

round the Emirates fly the country’s national red, white, greenand black flag, or the flag of the particular emirate as seen here.



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Sharjah - A Pictorial Souvenir