Heart of Sharjah beckons
Published on: Sunday, April 30, 2017
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A SUDDEN gush of cold wind swept through the Heart of Sharjah courtyard where we stood.
The place was fairly deserted with only a handful of people strolling about.
A couple of tourists looked lost in the old building complex, maps in hands as they tried to work out their next destination.
The sky above us was dark. A sandstorm struck the city just the day before we arrived.
We were in Sharjah, UAE at the invitation of the Sharjah government to attend the 6th International Government Communication Forum.
I turned to my companion, a Bernama reporter Samihah Mohamed, asking her what time it is because my watch did not work again.
“It’s almost 4pm, local time,” she said.
We were just dropped there in the middle of the emirate’s birthplace by our Pakistani bus driver with no further instruction on what we are supposed to do.
“That building looks interesting. Let’s go get lost in there,” I said. Samihah just laughed and followed my footsteps.
The three-foot plaque outside the wall read ‘Majlis Al Naboodah’. Accompanying it is an Arabic explanation of what it is as well as its English translation.
Apparently the building was built in 1845 and originally belonged to the late Obaid bin Eissa bin Ali Al Shamsi, a prominent pearl trader who held commercial ties with India, Africa and France. It was carefully restored to its original beauty through traditional architectural methods and now served as the Heart of Sharjah Discovery Centre.
As we stepped into the patio, we noticed dimmed lights coming through the cracks of the door to our left.
The place was dead quiet. It was, after all, an off season for tourists.
We went through the door and found ourselves in a tiny room with an open guestbook welcoming us, several brochures neatly arranged on one side of the room, old photos of Sharjah’s city decorated one part of the wall and a miniature version of Heart of Sharjah.
The walls of the traditional house were made of sea corals, a characteristic of Arab craftsmanship.
“Welcome to Majlis Al Naboodah. Good evening,” a cheery voice suddenly broke our peaceful self-tour.
A petite young woman stood at the doorway, smiling broadly. Her long black abaya swept the floor as she walked towards us. She took two brochures from the stand and handed them over to me and Samihah.
I could not help but notice her hair was showing through her hijab. She was not wearing any other identification such as a name tag, but we knew she was a guide as she started to give details of the whole Heart of Sharjah project.
“The Heart of Sharjah project aims to recover the soul of the city. Our ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi does not want Sharjah to be like Dubai. Sure it’s modern, it’s more vibrant. But Sharjah is conservative, we must be different.
“Because life in Sharjah started in here, in this particular site. This is the beginning of civilisation in this part of the emirate.
“Therefore, we want to rediscover that legacy. Sharjah must live up to its name as the Cultural Capital of the Arab world,” she said proudly.
The Heart of Sharjah project is a five-phase restoration project to reflect what Sharjah was like over half a century ago, revamping the city’s traditional areas to create a tourist and trade destination with contemporary artistic touches, yet retain the feel of the 1950s.
It is the region’s largest historical preservation and restoration project. By carefully restoring historical buildings, constructing new structure following traditional architecture and repurposing them as hotels, restaurants, cafes, art galleries and markets, Heart of Sharjah will be revived as a vibrant cultural destination.
Presently, Heart of Sharjah boasts some of the UAE’s finest museums and collection of masterfully restored traditional homes.
“In every city there is a place that sets its heartbeat and defines the pulse of the city.
What Soho is for New York in history, ethos and spirit; what Covent Garden is for London being genuine and authentic; what Le Marais is for Paris as a special destination... all of that is what Heart of Sharjah is for Sharjah,” our guide explained.
It is a grand vision and as with any typical Arabic fashion, the ambitious plan will see the levelling of at least 50 modern buildings including skyscrapers to make this dream a reality.
Too much to ask? Maybe. But if anybody can do this, it is going to be the oil-rich emirate.
Our guide beckoned us to another part of the complex towards a sand-coloured building that houses the Sharjah Heritage Museum.
As we walked across the courtyard, I took the opportunity to get to know our guide.
“My name is Rim. I’m a Palestinian-Filipino but have been working here for quite some time,” she said, smiling broadly.
“Wow, I have never met a Palestinian before. Let me shake your hand,” I said as I extended my right hand, which she accepted merrily. An Arab man came out of nowhere and started to trot behind us as he spoke quietly with Rim. Samihah told me he was our minder.
Oumar was a serious young man but generous with smiles whenever we cracked our silly jokes.
He wears a thawb, a long white garment that cuts just above the ankles and the traditional keffiyeh, a white headscarf held in place by the agal, which resembles a sort of black heavy duty hosepipe.
He was part of an army of men tasked to ensure our stay was as pleasant as possible.
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