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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.
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