Photo essay: The ancient art of Mamluk archery brought to life in Umm Al Quwain


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As the early morning mist clears with the sunrise, a unique group of international practitioners of the ancient art of Mamluk archery gathers on a dune top overlooking scattered camel pens and small local farms. They have come from the UK, Turkey and as far away as Austin, Texas, to participate in this year's Mamluk Games, held at Al Kaber Stables, Umm Al Quwain.

The archery practised here today is an ancient form of the sport, with the heritage of the combat form that originated in the 11th century. Starting in 1171, most of the Mamluks under the Ayyubid Dynasty of the medieval Sultanate of Egypt were taken from the Turkic-Kipchaks of the Central Steppe. The Kipchaks, who already had a strong tradition of mounted combat and archery, contributed to the development of Mamluk archery in the medieval Near East, from where the style and traditions on show in the games were re-enacted in the first three-day Mamluk Games.

Mahmoud Qalyoubi, centre, prepares for the first event of the day, a trial of long-distance shooting in which arrows reach beyond 200 metres. Antonie Robertson / The National
Mahmoud Qalyoubi, centre, prepares for the first event of the day, a trial of long-distance shooting in which arrows reach beyond 200 metres. Antonie Robertson / The National

Mahmoud Qalyoubi, head coach for Mamluk Academy UAE and the host of the first Mamluk Games, explains the cultural relevance. "The Mamluks ruled out of Cairo, parts of North Africa and the western side of the Arabian Peninsula. Their influence was significant in developing this region from all aspects of life, specifically their knowledge of horseback archery. Today, we preserve this knowledge by carrying on the tradition."

The term "Mamluk", derived from Arabic, translates to "one who is owned", meaning "slave". It explicitly refers to non-Arab, ethnically diverse people who were enslaved mercenaries assigned to high-ranking military and administrative duties in service to the ruling Arab and Ottoman dynasties in the Muslim world. They often attained high ranks and garnered wide respect for their skills within their communities.

Alperen Alkan, an instructor from Mamluk Archery Academy in Turkey. Antonie Robertson / The National
Alperen Alkan, an instructor from Mamluk Archery Academy in Turkey. Antonie Robertson / The National

Over time, they evolved into a powerful military knightly class in various Muslim societies under dynastic Arab rulers, particularly in Egypt and Syria, but also within the Ottoman Empire, the Levant, Mesopotamia and as far away as India.

Mahmoud said: "The present-day Mamluk Academy is headquartered in Ankara, Turkey, with multiple other clubs across the world. The idea of the first edition of the Mamluk Games is a competition to bring all the different clubs together to revive traditional historical archery disciplines within the region. This competition included challenges on the ground but focused highly on the horseback aspect of the tradition. Our participants represented their respective clubs from countries such as Germany, Turkey, UAE, UK and US."

Nadia Gilmore, who travelled from the UK with her family to participate in the games. Her family are part of the Liverpool branch of the Mamluk Academy UK. Antonie Robertson / The National
Nadia Gilmore, who travelled from the UK with her family to participate in the games. Her family are part of the Liverpool branch of the Mamluk Academy UK. Antonie Robertson / The National

The primary focus of the Mamluks' military prowess was their cavalry. The Arabic term "Furusiyya" refers to equestrianism, specifically military equestrianism. These talents were on show, with riders participating in various challenges involving a hand-made Mamluk-style recurve bow.

Targets are set on a course and each rider is timed throughout several runs to hit as many targets as accurately as possible.

Dr Rashid Sultan Al Mheiri, from the UAE, who makes bows using traditional methods in his spare time. Antonie Robertson / The National
Dr Rashid Sultan Al Mheiri, from the UAE, who makes bows using traditional methods in his spare time. Antonie Robertson / The National

"The uniqueness of the first Mamluk Games competition was that it combined both ground archery and horseback archery as opposed to one or the other," Mahmoud said. "Furthermore, all competition disciplines and tracks were true historical representations of how the Mamluks were training and testing the skills of their archers."

Though small, the three-day event brings the ancient arts back to a region that could have seen the original Mamluk warrior cross it many centuries ago. "I wouldn't call it a sport; it is a tradition," he said. "This tradition is being revived through various efforts across the globe. At Mamluk Academy, we are committed to passing the correct historical knowledge to our students to keep the flow of expertise running for generations to come."

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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4 England 64.1 per cent

5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent

6 West Indies 33.3 per cent

7 South Africa 30 per cent

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9 Bangladesh 0

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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

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Updated: January 31, 2025, 6:01 PM`