A delegation from the House of Wisdom visits Évora, Portugal, to enhance cooperation and joint cultural partnerships
Évora – Portugal, 9 July / WAM / A delegation from the House of Wisdom in the Emirate of Sharjah visited the city of Évora, the most ancient historical city in Portugal, at the invitation of Maria do Seu Ramos, President of Évora, European Capital of Culture 202, the body responsible for organizing and managing the city’s program and events as the European Capital of Culture for the year 2027, as part of House of Wisdom’s efforts to strengthen its international presence and expand its network of cultural and knowledge partnerships with leading cultural institutions around the world.
The visit was an extension of the path of cultural cooperation that began with the visit of His Excellency Alberto Fernando Santos, Minister of State for Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Portugal, to the House of Wisdom on the sidelines of participation in the opening of Sharjah Heritage Days at the beginning of this year, and his visit to a number of cultural institutions and landmarks in the emirate, which reflected the development of cultural and historical relations that unite Sharjah and the Republic of Portugal.
The House of Wisdom team held a meeting with Maria de Seu Ramos and the team responsible for the 2027 Évora European Capital of Culture program, where they reviewed the most prominent cultural events and initiatives scheduled within the program and discussed opportunities for cooperation and benefiting from the experience of the Emirate of Sharjah, which was previously crowned the World Book Capital in 2019, in addition to ways to develop cultural and knowledge partnerships between the two sides, which contributes to expanding the horizons of cooperation and enhancing communication and dialogue between cultural institutions in both Sharjah and Évora.
Marwa Al-Aqroubi, Executive Director of the House of Wisdom, said: We are pleased to join the city of Évora in its celebration of being crowned European Capital of Culture for the year, which is a merit that reflects the cultural and civilized status of this historical city whose history extends for more than two thousand years and has formed, throughout the ages, a meeting place for successive civilizations and cultures, from the Roman heritage to Andalusian Islamic influences, all the way to Portuguese culture, which gave it a unique cultural richness and established its position as one of the most prominent cities included in the list. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
She added: Based on this exceptional position, we look forward to establishing an effective partnership with the city of Évora and exploring broad horizons for cooperation and exchanging experiences in the fields of culture, knowledge and heritage preservation, in line with the pioneering experience of the Emirate of Sharjah in employing culture as an engine for development and cultural communication, which provides an opportunity to exchange experiences and cooperate in developing initiatives that contribute to enhancing cultural understanding and knowledge exchange between communities.
For her part, Maria de Seu Ramos said: The visit was a valuable opportunity to exchange visions about the responsibilities and opportunities that accompany major cultural initiatives, in addition to exploring areas of common interest between our institutions. It also highlighted the promising potential for enhancing cooperation between Évora and Sharjah, based on the extended cultural ties between them and the shared belief in the role that culture plays in enhancing mutual understanding, exchanging knowledge, and consolidating the participation of communities.
She added that as preparations for 2027 continue, we were pleased to explore the prospects for cooperation with the House of Wisdom, and we look forward to building on the relationships established by this visit and developing initiatives inspired by the cultural and historical ties that unite our two regions, which contributes to strengthening the role of cultural diplomacy in building bridges of communication between institutions and communities.
The visit program included a tour of a number of prominent cultural and heritage landmarks in the city of Évora to learn about its history and cultural heritage that qualified it to obtain a prominent position on the European cultural map. The tour included a visit to the Évora National Library, which was founded in 1805 and is considered the oldest after the Coimbra Library and the first public library in Portugal. The House of Wisdom delegation viewed the library’s sections and rare holdings, including manuscripts, historical documents, and drawings documenting Portuguese castles, including castles. Which was built in Kalba and Khor Fakkan, along with its valuable collections of manuscripts, printed books, maps, periodicals and historical documents documenting the development of European knowledge over the centuries.
During the past years, cultural relations between Sharjah and Portugal witnessed qualitative milestones that contributed to strengthening academic and knowledge cooperation between the two sides, the most prominent of which was the opening of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the opening of the Center for Arab Studies at the University of Coimbra and the launch of the “Joanina Digital Library” in cooperation with the university administration, in addition to His Highness’s research and knowledge contributions related to the history of the Portuguese presence in the region and the historical relations between the Arab world and Portugal.
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