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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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