"Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority" Celebrates maritime heritage through “Memory from the Sea” event
ABU DHABI, April 20 / WAM / Today (Monday), the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority organized an event entitled “Memory from the Sea”, as part of the activities and activities of its Marine Heritage Training Center in the Al Raha Beach area, on the occasion of World Heritage Day.
The event was attended by His Excellency Abdullah Mubarak Al Muhairi, Acting Director General of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, His Excellency Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi, Executive Director of the Heritage Awareness and Knowledge Sector, His Excellency Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, Executive Director of the Festivals and Events Sector at the Authority, His Excellency Mohammed Juma Al Mansouri, Executive Director of the Support Services Sector, and a number of those interested in heritage and the Authority’s employees.
His Excellency Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi explained that the specific initiatives launched by the Authority enhance the presence of Emirati heritage in global forums, and promote it as an inspiring cultural message that represents a bridge that connects the authenticity of the past with the ambitions of the future.
He added that the “Memory from the Sea” event reflects the role of the Authority’s Maritime Heritage Training Center in protecting traditions associated with the sea, as it works through intensive training and interactive programs to transfer heritage skills and crafts to new generations, to ensure the sustainability of this ancient heritage and establish it as a fundamental pillar in the conscience of society.
The event comes within a package of heritage events and activities implemented by the Maritime Heritage Training Center, which aim to highlight the Emirati maritime heritage as an integral part of the national identity, by providing an integrated experience that takes the visitor on an interactive journey that combines watching, listening and live experience, and sheds light on the life of the sea and the stories of its men whose lives have been linked to it across generations.
The event included a group of various stations, including an outdoor exhibition of bearings (heritage ships) and traditional fishing tools such as qarqour and nets, in addition to an internal exhibition containing rare marine collectibles that tell the history of man and his relationship with the sea.
The event witnessed live demonstrations of the art of the maritime horseshoe, in addition to the live presentation of traditional maritime crafts by specialized craftsmen, while providing visitors with the opportunity to interact and experiment.
Within the framework of enhancing the transfer of knowledge between generations, the event included a dialogue session entitled “Voices from the Depth of the Sea,” in which Ahmed Mana Al Muhairi Nokhadha, a specialist in marine heritage and fishing, participated, Mubarak Al Otaiba, a specialist in marine arts and marine folk arts, and Yousef Al Ali, a specialist in marine heritage, sea and fishing tools, and the session was moderated by Ali Al Mazrouei, the Authority’s heritage advisor.
The session addressed several main topics, most notably the role of the sea in shaping the features of life in the Emirates in the past. The participants reviewed how the sea was a source of livelihood and a school of values, and contributed to building the character of the Emirati person with the meanings of patience, courage, and spirit of cooperation.
The session shed light on marine arts and songs that accompanied sailors on their journeys, and their role in entertainment and raising morale during work, in addition to displaying traditional fishing tools as a testimony to the skill of our ancestors and their ability to adapt to the marine environment.
The speakers touched on real stories and experiences from sea life that formed part of popular memory, stressing the importance of transforming this legacy from oral memory into living awareness among new generations.
The event comes within the framework of the efforts of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority aimed at preserving and protecting the Emirati maritime heritage, and enhancing its presence as an integral part of the national identity, by providing a specialized environment to teach traditional skills related to marine life, and transferring knowledge and experiences inherited from ancestors to new generations.
The Maritime Heritage Training Center aims to be an integrated cultural and training platform that contributes to qualifying interested people and craftsmen, supporting the continuity of traditional maritime crafts, in addition to establishing community awareness of the importance of maritime heritage, and strengthening society’s connection to its cultural heritage using modern and sustainable methods.
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