With the participation of more than 65 international figures and 21 countries, Sharjah Ramadan includes more than 38 Islamic lectures and seminars in addition to seven Ramadhan sessions, four poetry and chanting evenings, six cultural cafes, five theatre performances, 47 art exhibitions and 59 art workshops.
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Sharjah Islamic Culture Capital (SICC) 2014 celebrations, confirmed that the festival comprises numerous activities that mirror the cultural face of Sharjah.
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Sharjah Islamic Culture Capital (SICC) 2014 celebrations, confirmed that the festival comprises numerous activities that mirror the cultural face of Sharjah.
"I would like to express my deep pride in the beauty of Sharjah’s Islamic architecture, which lends deep spirituality to the emirate’s atmosphere,” added Dr Lana Mamkegh, Jordan's Minister of Culture.
Praising the first-of-its-kind festival, Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Amri, Director of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), said: “Sharjah Ramadan comes as part of the emirate’s celebration of its crowning as the capital of Islamic culture, as well as of the holy month of Ramadhan. It comprises many events that reflect the richness of Arab-Islamic culture and harmonise with Sharjah’s cultural project, whose foundations have been laid by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.”
In addition to organising the Islamic Book Exhibition, with 127 publishers and 42 Mamluk Quran manuscripts, Al Amri noted that SIBF is holding three seminars as part of its contribution to Sharjah Ramadan. The seminars, namely “Undiscovered Islamic Heritage”, “Manuscripts: History and Civilisation” and “Sources of Recorded History”, are bolstered by the participation of experts and researchers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UK, US and Canada.
Sharjah Ramadan also includes the Ramadan Majlis, an annual event held by SMC for the purpose of strengthening social bonds and encouraging exchange of views through sessions that elaborate on different topics.
Osama Samra, Director of SMC, said: “This year’s Ramadan Majlis has been exceptional, given its coincidence with Sharjah Islamic Culture Capital 2014 celebrations. The sessions of the Majlis were carefully planned to reflect the emirate’s vision to promote dialogue, which is an Islamic principle and a mainstay of civilisational communication.
“The Ramadan Majlis has hosted international religious, intellectual and cultural figures as speakers.”
Among the other participants in Sharjah Ramadan is the Sharjah Department of Islamic Affairs, which is organising a variety of Islamic lectures.
Yusuf Hassan Al Hamadi, Head of the Preaching Section at the Sharjah Department of Islamic Affairs, explained: “The close connection between Ramadhan events and the selection of Sharjah, which is a symbol of Islamic culture and famous for disseminating knowledge, as the Islamic culture capital, has required the development of plans that manifest the truth and highlight reality.”
Al Hamadi indicated that the 25 lectures are delivered in multiple languages (Arabic, Urdu, English, Filipino, Chinese and Malabar) to cover the majority of residents in the UAE.
The Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) separately announced that it is staging a mobile exhibition at the Sharjah Ramadan Festival 2014 with contributions from the Sharjah Archeology Museum, the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, the Sharjah Art Museum, the Sharjah Heritage Museum, the Sharjah Maritime Museum, the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum, the Al Mahatta Museum and the Sharjah Science Museum.
The Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) separately announced that it is staging a mobile exhibition at the Sharjah Ramadan Festival 2014 with contributions from the Sharjah Archeology Museum, the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, the Sharjah Art Museum, the Sharjah Heritage Museum, the Sharjah Maritime Museum, the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum, the Al Mahatta Museum and the Sharjah Science Museum.
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| Source: Sharjah Museums Department website. |
Titled ‘Travel through the land’, the exhibition presents objects from its top museums, chosen to explore mankind’s travels and journeys through time and space, from antiquity to the future, because of the need to survive, to trade, as a religious duty or as a result of mankind’s desire for new discovery and adventure.
SMD launched a new publication at the Islamic Book Fair, Islamic Textiles from the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, on July 7. The publication is the second in a series highlighting masterpieces in the collections of the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, for the first time introducing the religious textiles collected by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi in a comprehensive and academic way.
According to Arab News, the book highlights the kiswah, the covering of the Ka'abah, as one of the most important Islamic symbols, and features textiles from the 17th century to the 21st that have been created for Islam’s holiest places in the cities of Makkah and Madinah.
A video on the book featured on Geo News can be viewed here.
The exhibition remains open throughout Ramadhan from 8.30pm to 1.30am on weekdays and 8.30pm to 2am on weekends, and will continue through Eid from 5pm to 11pm. Admission to the Sharjah Expo Centre, where the Ramadan Festival is held, is free.