The heritage village at the Sheikh Zayed Festival attracts visitors with interactive experiences
Abu Dhabi, December 18 / WAM / The Heritage Village at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in the Al Wathba area in Abu Dhabi reinforces its position as one of the most prominent cultural destinations in the country, through the live, panoramic activities it offers that highlight important features of the authentic Emirati heritage, and reflect the ancient traditions that distinguish Emirati society.
The Heritage Village is an integrated cultural and artistic platform that embodies the traditional Emirati life environment in all its details, and attracts visitors from all over the world to learn about ancient customs and traditions and simple lifestyles that formed the basis of national identity.
The village was designed and decorated with traditional tents and buildings made of local materials such as wood, clay and palm leaves, to provide visitors with a realistic experience of what life was like in the past and how to rely on natural resources to build homes and manage daily life affairs.
The heritage village includes a wide range of live workshops in which craftsmen participate in front of the public, presenting examples of ancient professions such as pottery making, mats, mats, baskets, leather tanning, and the making of ropes, bags, and shoes, in addition to folk medicine, silversmithing, fabric weaving, sadu, talli, and burqa qard.
Senior citizens and women who have preserved these professions and passed them on to new generations participate in these events, using traditional natural materials such as plant fibers and palm fronds, to tell, through their skills, the story of the creative Emirates that has preserved its roots despite modernity.
The popular markets are considered a pivotal part of the heritage village, as they display handmade products and perfumes inspired by the heritage of the ancestors, their travels across the seas, and their mingling with other peoples throughout history, in order to express authenticity and innovation, as well as popular Emirati foods and traditional sweets, such as luqaimat, balaleet, and many others, which are made in front of visitors in an atmosphere full of life.
Al Khaima Emirati Restaurant offers a unique experience for lovers of local food, as it allows visitors to taste the most famous Emirati heritage foods that express the hospitality and authenticity of Emirati cuisine, making the village an integrated station that combines taste and heritage.
The Heritage Village revives authentic Emirati folk arts through daily performances by folk bands, and includes folkloric and musical dances such as the Ardha, Al-Ayyala, Al-Razfa, and Al-Nadba, accompanied by national chants and songs that express pride and belonging to the homeland.
The village also includes special pavilions for falcons, camels, and marine heritage, in addition to dhow events, a falconry competition, the Zayed Grand Prize for Camels, and a popular food competition, which enhances the presence of Emirati heritage in its various mountainous, agricultural, marine, and desert environments.
The heritage village forms a link between generations, as it combines education and entertainment, and provides visitors, especially children and school students, with the opportunity to interact with craftsmen and learn about ancient lifestyles and the values of cooperation, simplicity and self-reliance.
Visitors continue to arrive daily from four in the afternoon until midnight, to enjoy a unique experience that transports them to the past in the spirit of the present, within a festive atmosphere that highlights Emirati heritage at its finest and confirms the festival’s status as a national platform for pride in identity.
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