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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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