Sharjah Heritage Award consolidates its presence in preserving heritage within "Heritage days"
Sharjah, February 12, 2017 – Sharjah Heritage Days, in its twenty-third session, continues to consolidate the presence of heritage as a living memory and a renewed identity. In this context, the Arab Heritage Center organized, yesterday evening, a specialized symposium that highlighted the Sharjah Cultural Heritage Award as one of the pioneering initiatives in supporting the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage and promoting scientific research related to it.
Her Excellency Aisha Rashid Al-Hussan Al Shamsi, Director of the Arab Heritage Center at the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, confirmed that the symposium represents an occasion to celebrate the cultural heritage locally and in the Arab world, noting that the award launched by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, comes as confirmation of the continuity of the cultural project in the emirate and a continuation of its paths in preserving heritage.
She explained that the award values the efforts made to preserve heritage, both tangible and intangible, and includes three main fields: the local and Arab field, the “tangible and intangible” best practices field, and the living human treasures field dedicated to honoring cultural heritage holders.
The symposium dealt with one of the most prominent fields of the award, which is the field of best research and studies, where researcher Hamda Al Zarouni from the Sharjah Heritage Institute reviewed her winning research experience, explaining that her book was the result of a master’s thesis she completed in 2022 entitled “Emirati Perfumes: Types and Uses.”
She explained that the study relied on field work that included 43 samples of traditional Emirati perfume industries, in addition to research forms reviewed by more than 26 researchers and academics supported by appendices and documentary photos, stressing that field collection differs from traditional academic research, but it constitutes a basic pillar in documenting heritage.
Al Zarouni considered that working in the field of heritage, despite its challenges, is enjoyable and fruitful, and that academic documentation is a national service and a real investment in Emirati heritage, especially in addressing the younger generation.
For her part, Aisha Al-Hussan, at the conclusion of the symposium, called on associations and individuals from various countries of the world to apply for the award, stressing that it is directed to holders of cultural heritage and those working in this field and to everyone who owns a craft or heritage project that deserves appreciation.
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