Set in the background, in the distance under a haze, is the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, one of the Muslim world's holiest sites. In this WH Bartlett painting of Jerusalem, there is no gold dome, only a blue one.
In another Bartlett creation, the magnificence and sheer size of the great temple at Baalbek in Lebanon is captured in the most intricate detail.
A third painting renders the western entrance of Damascus, where a multi-domed structure with two slender minarets is, in fact, a hospital for pilgrims built by Sultan Selim I in 1516, and known as Tekiyeh.
It is surrounded by a mosque, a mausoleum and perched tents, resting places for weary travellers. There is even a soos (liquorice) drink vendor carrying a distinctive large jug on his back, and a sweets vendor, both of whom were usually the first to receive travellers visiting the city. In this image, WHM Farlane recreates one of the first of Damascus's great Ottoman monuments.
These are just three of the 171 lithographs by more than 30 Orientalist European artists from the 19th century on display as part of the Levant Exhibition at the Sharjah Art Museum.
A selection from the private collection of Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, the works offer a panoramic record of life in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan through the talents of artists such as David Roberts (1796-1864), William Henry Bartlett (1809 -1854) and Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) commonly known as "the painter of light" and the genius of English Romanticism.
Organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information's Arts Directorate in cooperation with the Sharjah Museums Directorate, the exhibition has been put on as part of the Ruler's vision of "promoting fine arts with the objective of developing a collective mindset preserving peoples' heritages through a visual medium that would refine human's aesthetic appreciation over time".
The exhibition of these paintings, an important chronicle of a nation's history,couldn't have arrived at a more relevant moment.
Beginning with the first uprising in March 2011, Syria has become embroiled in a horrific conflict, leaving thousands dead and more than a million displaced, with unprecedented destruction of its cities and countryside. There have been regular reports of bombarded historic sites, with Aleppo's old city mercilessly hit.
Aleppo's medieval souq, known locally as the Souq Al Madina and forming part of "the Ancient City of Aleppo" Unesco World Heritage site, has suffered extensive damage from continued fighting between government forces and rebels.
According to media and opposition sources, the rebels now control about 90 per cent of the Ancient City.
"That the fighting is now destroying cultural heritage that bears witness to the country's millenary history - valued and admired the world over - makes it even more tragic," said Irina Bokova, the director-general of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
Such incidents transform the paintings hanging at the Sharjah Art Museum into valuable reminders of what the world will be losing if this conflict continues.
Each painting tells an important story of change over a span of more than 100 years to important historic, religious and cultural sites in a region often rocked by conflict. With the paintings for comparison, it become obvious that sites like the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Baalbek temple - as well as many others - have deteriorated considerably under the strain of conflict. The ubiquitousness of the iconic cedar tree in most of the Lebanon paintings and the complete transformation of cities such as Sidon and Tripoli serve as a stark reminder of the degradation of the natural environment and the loss of architectural heritage.
The images captured in Jordan, such as Petra's ruins and tombs, have been preserved to a great extent and those of Syria remained, until recently, almost identical to how they are depicted in 19th-century paintings.
"Impressed by what they had seen, those Orientalists produced what we could call documentary artworks depicting historical places, geography, garments, traditions and life of people in these countries," said Abdulkarim Al Sayed, an artist and researcher in arts at Sharjah's Arabic Art Centre.
"Due to their religious or historic significance, Sidon, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tyre, Damascus, Akka and Al Khalil (Hebron) with its Sanctuary of Abraham or Ibrahimi Mosque are the main towns depicted by the displayed artist, even though the artists used Hebrew names to describe them for political reasons," he said.
Al Sayed wrote one of the introductory pieces in the exhibition's catalogue, detailing the history of the paintings, its artists and how Orientalist art started with the French.
"Following Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798-1801, it stimulated great public interest in the region and encouraged westerners, including artists, to visit Middle Eastern countries," he wrote. Other important paintings of Syria include that of TheGreat Khan of Old Damascus, an area which has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1979. The Khan was an old hotel used by rich travellers and merchants. Then there are sites that have become inaccessible to Syrians, such as Mount Hermon, drawn by Eugene Ciceri, capturing two travellers resting at ruins set against snow-cloaked mountain peaks. The area, also known as Jabal Al Sheikh, a mountainous region straddling Syria, Lebanon and Israel, was lost to Israel in the six-day Arab-Israeli war in 1967.
Then there is the famous Barada River, the Banias Cave (one of the sources of the River Jordan), numerous castles, villages and souqs. The various Syrian images offer glimpses of the traditions and costumes of the people of that time. A particularly vibrant painting by R Meeder, entitled A Bedouin from Houran, is of a tribesman in a brown and white thoub charging on a camel and brandishing a spear-like weapon.
But it is the Conference of Arabs by David Robert, from Petra in Jordan, that captures what Bedouins must have looked like at the height of their glory. Sitting together at the bottom of a mountain, against the ruins of Petra, the colourfully dressed men are engrossed in a serious discussion with their weapons - rifles and swords - close by.
Also on display are works depicting the holiest sites, including the Church of the Nativity and Church of the Resurrection, tombs of prophets, caravans, villages, valleys, rivers, marketplaces, coffee shops and magnificent landscapes of an older and lusher Levant.
"The Levant Exhibition offers us an inviting window to look at a remote past and the glory of the proud culture in the Levantine countries," said Dr Maha Aziza Sultan, a fine arts critic and university lecturer in Lebanon.
"We thought the memories of such places had been gone forever, but they are there, recorded in the artworks of great artists who wanted to celebrate their love of the sun and the Arab lands," she said.
"In their pursuit of beauty in this part of the world, those Orientalist artists did in fact change arts in their native Europe and - through their creations - took their beloved East to its museums."
The Levant Exhibition is at the Sharjah Art Museum until October 30. For more information, call the museum at 06 568 8222 or visit www.sharjahmuseums.ae
Rym Ghazal is a senior features writer for The National
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'Ashkal'
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
more from Janine di Giovanni
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The%20specs
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 2,410m | Winner: Bin Battuta, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m | Winner: Al Hayette, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m | Winner: Faatinah, Jim Crowley, David Hayes
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m | Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m | Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m | Winner: Another Batt, Connor Beasley, George Scott
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Results
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions Dh90,000 2,200m
Winner: Mudaarab, Jim Crowley (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Hassan Al Hammadi.
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Salima Al Reef, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Bainoona, Ricardo Iacopini, Eric Lemartinel.
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: Assyad, Victoria Larsen, Eric Lemartinel.
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1 Dh5,000,000 1,600m
Winner: Mashhur Al Khalediah, Jean-Bernard Eyquem, Phillip Collington.
LEADERBOARD
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War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
DUNGEONS%20%26%20DRAGONS%3A%20HONOR%20AMONG%20THIEVES
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