|
Souq
Al Arsah (The Old Souq) is located in
the heart of old Sharjah.
Tucked away behind a row
of shops, cafeterias and a mosque on the
waterfront, is a narrow alley where vendors
sell silver jewelry, Indian handicrafts,
Omani chests, daggers, Gulf pearls and
some antiques.
Arabic
Art & Fine Craft
Discovered
at every archeological dig are pottery
jars used for storing water and grain.
Today, these are still fired in man made
wood-fuelled kilns. The various shapes
and sizes of the water, grain and later
oil jars, are displayed in the Heritage
Museum, (see Museums section). New locally
made pots are on sale in the Plant Souk,
Al Soor.
The old
Arabic bridal chests which are becoming
a rarity were made throughout the Gulf,
characterized by the solid wood (usually
teak or rosewood) with inlaid brass decoration
and often, secret compartments. Smaller
wooden chests, with carved decoration
only and many compartments were made specifically
for the pearling industry. Pearls would
be graded and stored in the boxes according
to size, along with scales and other pearling
paraphernalia.
Weaving
and embroidery was used for dress decoration
and practical purposes. These traditional
crafts are still popular pastimes amongst
the national women. The locally available
date palm fibers are woven to produce
mats, baskets, bags and bowls plus fans
used for lighting fires. There is a shop
in Souk Al Arsah which sells these crafts
and you will also find them on sale in
the old Iranian Bazaar which runs parallel
to the creek. For further details, see
Souks section.
Sharjah
Art Museum
The Sharjah
Art Museum, established in 1995 under
the Art Directorate of the Department
of Culture & Information, was housed
in Bait Al Serkal, Al Shuwaihiyeen area
until 1997. The new building of the Sharjah
Art Museum was constructed in the area
to integrate with the heritage buildings.
It was completed and inaugurated on April
9, 1997.
Located
in the heart of Sharjah city and fully
designated to the fine arts and art-related
activities, the museum is displays a permanent
collection of art on the ground floor.
Since its opening, thirty-three solo and
group exhibitions and other related activities
have been held at the venue.
Very
Special Arts (House of Abdullah Al Sari)
Established in Sharjah in 1995 by the
Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services,
Very Special Arts was formed to enrich
the lives of the disabled, through enlightening
and enhancing their artistic skills.
The house
of Abdulla Al Sari has been transformed
for this workshop for the disabled.
OBJECTIVES
- Helping
the disabled in integrating with the
society through enhancing their artistic
talent.
- Promoting
the community awareness about the importance
of art as a means of expression and
as an educational tool in the rehabilitation
program for the disabled.
- Bridging
the differences between the able and
disabled by providing equal opportunity
in various artistic fields.
- Providing
special training and technical assistance
to the teachers for the disabled.
- Holding
local, regional and international art
workshops and seminars at various levels
for the disabled and coordinating various
similar establishments around the world.
|
