An aerial view of Sharjah's Al Mureijah area pre-restoration in the 1990s. Photo: Directorate of Heritage
An aerial view of Sharjah's Al Mureijah area pre-restoration in the 1990s. Photo: Directorate of Heritage
An aerial view of Sharjah's Al Mureijah area pre-restoration in the 1990s. Photo: Directorate of Heritage
An aerial view of Sharjah's Al Mureijah area pre-restoration in the 1990s. Photo: Directorate of Heritage

Sharjah Art Foundation invites residents to contribute to research on historic areas


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

Sharjah Art Foundation has launched a project to collect the oral histories of three important areas in Sharjah, inviting people above the age of 60 to share their stories of Al Mureijah, Al Shoyoukh and Al Shuwaiheen areas.

The neighbourhoods are among the most historic in the emirate, but there is little written or recorded documentation on the transformation these areas have undergone in the past decades.

Al Shuwaiheen's markets and museums attract a mix of art lovers, history seekers and bargain hunters.
Al Shuwaiheen's markets and museums attract a mix of art lovers, history seekers and bargain hunters.

In an effort to compile and preserve the histories of the three areas, the foundation is calling on people who have lived or worked in these neighbourhoods to share their stories about life in the time around the successive phases of change and development.

The research team will collect oral histories from participants to document the social, urban and architectural evolution of the three areas.

“Since the foundation was formed in 2009, a deep engagement with the local community and the urban landscape has been central to our work,” said Noora Al Mualla, director of learning and research at Sharjah Art Foundation. “With this new project we hope to learn about the history of these neighbourhoods through the voices and memories of an older generation.

An aerial image of Al Mureijah Square taken in 2017. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation
An aerial image of Al Mureijah Square taken in 2017. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation

“The stories we collect will both contribute to our understanding of Sharjah’s past while helping us to preserve this knowledge of the future.”

Interviews will be conducted with a diverse range of people to broadly reflect the area’s inhabitants over time.

Participants will include people with tribal lineage distant to the Arabian Gulf as well as those with families from other regional and international backgrounds who settled in the emirate between the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Those who would like to contribute to the research by sharing stories or names of potential participants can contact the department directly at research@sharjahart.org

How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

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The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Spain drain

CONVICTED

Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.

Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.

Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.

 

SUSPECTED

Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.

Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.

Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.

Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.

Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.

Updated: January 10, 2022, 2:14 PM`