On a mission to preserve the past
HAMDAN CENTRE SHOWCASES A RICH CULTURE IN ALL ITS GLORY
Mary Achkhanian
The UAE’s history has not been lost in the sands of time; neither has its culture or heritage, or other unique aspects of the Emirati way of life.
Thanks to the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Heritage Centre (HHC), everything linked to this 43-year-old nation’s past is being preserved and restored for generations to come so as to strengthen Emiratis’ sense of national identity and familiarise residents with the country’s rich heritage.
“Preserving heritage and keeping traditions alive is essential for any country,” Fatma Arif Al Bannay, director of Al Oula radio station and general manager of the Media Office at HHC, said. “A country’s heritage is its link to its past, and preserving and promoting national heritage among younger generations is imperative to familiarise them with ancient traditions and ways of life.”
The centre was established on April, 6, 2013 under a decree issued by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
It has a vision to not only nurture traditional sports and cultural pursuits, but also preserve and document the UAE’s intellectual, scientific and cultural heritage.
The centre also conducts research on the UAE’s heritage with the aim of building a strong body of reference material for researchers.
Competitions such as the Fazza Championships have today gained global recognition. “This has helped connect young Emiratis to their heritage and culture and created opportunities for them to be introduced to traditional sports and to actively participate in them,” Fatma said.
Another initiative called Wathiqati (My Document) aims to provide a strong historical reference for future generations and researchers by archiving historical documents and collectibles.
The centre has so far seen an active response with many contributors coming forward with old documents and manuscripts, which has been helping the centre in preserving history.
Fatma pointed out that a 12day camel trek that the centre organised recently had a halfAmerican, half-British participation along with 15 Emirati youths, who joined Emirati voyagers on a fascinating cultural expedition through the deserts of the UAE.