Abdulaziz Al Musallam opens “Our Heritage Through Their Eyes” exhibition

July 02, 2025 / 9:20 PM

Sharjah 24: Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, accompanied by His Excellency Abubakar Al Kindi, Director of the Institute, inaugurated the exhibition held alongside the Second Heritage Conference, organised under the theme “Our Heritage Through Their Eyes”, at the Arabian Heritage Centre in University City, Sharjah.

The event was attended by a distinguished group of researchers and specialists in cultural and heritage affairs, who toured the exhibition’s various sections with the conference guests, exploring its rich content that documents the Western perspective on Eastern heritage through travel and missionary writings, rare documents, and exceptional visual and intellectual works.

The Arab Emirates in Western Memory

The tour began in the exhibition’s first section, titled “The Arab Emirates in Western Memory”, where Al Musallam and the attendees viewed some of the earliest Western writings on the coast—what is today the United Arab Emirates—spanning five centuries. They explored materials relating to the UAE’s history and all elements of its heritage.

This section includes depictions of the coast in Western maps and records, visitors to the coast as “eyewitnesses,” UAE heritage in travel literature, traditional lifestyles, adornment and attire, crafts, camel racing, falconry, palm trees, heritage homes, diseases and epidemics, aflaj irrigation systems, fishing, pearl diving, ship and boat building, in addition to portraits reflecting various aspects of old life in the region.

The Arabian Gulf Through Foreign Eyes

Al Musallam and the attendees then explored the second section of the exhibition, titled “The Arabian Gulf Through Foreign Eyes”, offering a visual journey through maps, images of cities, ports, landmarks, and surviving scenes and testimonies from centuries past.

The Allure of the East Through Western Eyes

The tour concluded with the third section of the exhibition, where Dr Al Musallam and the guests walked through the artworks of “The Allure of the East Through Western Eyes.” This section showcases paintings by travellers and orientalists depicting the Arab world, shedding light on various aspects of Arab societies across long stretches of history.

Exhibition Library

The exhibition also includes a library dedicated to “Travellers’ Chronicles”, featuring the rich sources and writings of Western travellers. These serve as valuable academic resources that document the life, knowledge, treasures, and symbols of the East.