SHARJAH: The Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) announces the opening of its latest exhibition, “The Art of Architectural Ornamentations in the Emirate of Sharjah – A Photography Exhibition,” hosted at Bait Al Naboodah.
Inaugurated by Aisha Rashid Deemas, Director General of SMA in the presence of the exhibition participants, the exhibition opens its doors to visitors from February 17, 2024, and aims to inspire audiences for a period of six months.
The choice of Bait Al Naboodah as the venue is attributed to its rich historical significance, central location in Sharjah, and stunning architectural design.
The house features wooden columns influenced by Roman architecture and a unique backdrop of designs sourced from India by Obaid Al Naboodah, adding to its cultural richness.
Its architecture, adorned with intricate wooden and plaster decorations inspired by Islamic art-including floral motifs, geometric shapes, and calligraphy-enhances its historical and aesthetic value.
The Director General of SMA highligh
ted that the exhibition showcases a fusion of beauty and heritage through various architectural styles, aligning with Sharjah’s renewed identity as a beacon of creativity and heritage, encapsulating the Emirate’s historical narrative.
‘This event is a significant platform to showcase Sharjah’s dedicated efforts in preserving its cultural and architectural heritage,’ she said.
‘It mirrors the emirate’s creative essence through its distinctive architectural styles that blend history with modernity, showcased in iconic structures like beautiful mosque domes and other cultural landmarks.’
The exhibition features creative photographs from three talented photographers selected from 85 contestants in a competition organized by the Authority for individuals aged 15 and above between September and November last year where a panel of experts from the Emirates Photography Society evaluated and shortlisted the outstanding images for display.
Ten works were chosen for display, narrating through their unique perspectiv
es the story of Islamic art and the contemporary essence of the vibrant emirate.
These images capture the unique architectural narratives of Sharjah, incorporating Islamic elements like floral patterns, geometric designs, and calligraphy, offering a special experience for photography enthusiasts, professionals, and architectural aficionados to delve into the beauty of architectural decorations and discover the unique characteristics of Sharjah’s buildings.
Among the featured photographs is the entrance to Bait Al Naboodah Majlis, depicting traditional Emirati door designs and heritage floral decorations, and an image of Bank Street showcasing a graffiti mural, a visual spectacle on a building’s wall.
Additionally, the exhibition includes images of Sharjah Mosque, the largest in the emirate, celebrated for its intricate architectural decorations, as well as the Central Souk, an iconic structure printed on the UAE five-dirham note, known for its beautiful domes, distinctive, blue-colored walls, arches, and g
eometric decorations.
The University City Hall, illuminated during the Sharjah Light Festival, also features, highlighting its elegant architectural elements inspired by Arab culture.
Accompanying the exhibition, the Authority has organized workshops aligned with the event’s goals, including the ‘Basic Principles of Photography” workshop in collaboration with the Emirates Photography Society and photographer Tahani Al-Arsali.
Additionally, a “Traditional Ornamentations” workshop, starting Sunday, February 18, and running until August 18, offers participants a chance to explore the architectural beauty of Bait Al Naboodah, enriching their appreciation of Sharjah’s cultural legacy.
Source: Emirates News Agency
RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tonight chaired a broad-based meeting of the Palestinian leadership to examine the situation of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
President Abbas said at the start of the meeting that this meeting is dedicated to discussing the catastrophic situation faced by the people of the Strip, including the killings, destruction and forced displacement, as a result of the Israeli aggression which has been ongoing for several consecutive months.
The president pointed out that this meeting also aims at preventing these attacks and stopping any actions that would lead to the forced displacement of the strip’s population from their land, particularly since the situation in Rafah has become so dangerous and difficult that it requires prompt action by the Palestinian leadership.
The president discussed the ongoing efforts of the Palestinian leadership to stop the continuing Israeli aggression and massacres against the people in the Gaza Strip, which have
so far resulted in over one hundred thousand casualties, mostly children, women and the elderly, and the destruction of more than 70% of the infrastructure, which he stressed would require years to be rebuilt.
The president stressed that the Netanyahu government and the occupation army insist on continuing their aggression on various cities in the Gaza Strip, especially against the city of Rafah with the aim of forcibly displacing the local population. This will not be accepted by us or by anyone in the world, added the president.
President Abbas also touched upon the daily raids carried out by the occupation forces and colonists into cities, villages and refugee camps in the West Bank, the closure of roads through the erection of dozens of checkpoints, the killing of civilians and the destruction of their homes.
The President briefed the meeting on contacts that have been made with the leaders of more than 80 countries whose positions began to shift toward understanding the Palestinian position.
Presiden
t Abbas thanked the people of the world and countries that expressed support for the Palestinian position and called for putting an end to the aggression and the freedom of Palestine through solidarity demonstrations that took place in Europe, America, Asia, Australia and Africa.
He also thanked all the countries that addressed international forums and courts, especially South Africa, which filed a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Israel, to stop the aggression being committed against the Palestinian people by the Israeli occupation.
The President also emphasized the continuation of efforts to strengthen national unity within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
President Abbas further affirmed adherence to the PLO’s political program approved by successive national councils and their international obligations, which seek to end the occupation, achieve the establishment of an independent Pa
lestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and put an end to the fallout of the coup that took place in the Gaza Strip in June 2007.
The president also affirmed adherence to the principle of one authority, one law, one legitimate weapon and peaceful popular resistance.
President Abbas welcomed the invitation of the Russian Federation for the Palestinian factions to hold a dialogue aimed at overcoming obstacles to end the abhorrent division, achieve national reconciliation and unify the national vision to address the challenges facing the Palestinian people and their cause.
The meeting approved the formation of a committee to prepare an action plan to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, thwart the occupation’s plans in all its forms and work toward mobilizing international support for the recognition of the Palestinian state and the end of the occupation.
The president also addressed the financial crisis and the difficu
lt economic situation facing the Palestinian government due to the withholding of the PA tax funds by the Israeli occupation authorities, claiming the deducted part goes for Gaza.
The president stressed that ‘we will continue to fulfill our responsibilities towards our people in Gaza as we have always done.’
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA