SAFEGUARDING AND PRESERVING ABU DHABI’S DISTINCTIVE HISTORY AND HERITAGE A KEY MISSION DRIVEN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
The historic sites and artefacts of the UAE are not our only cultural heritage; there are also essential intangible elements, such as the traditions, practices and daily customs passed down through generations.
The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi is responsible for the management, preservation, and promotion of all forms of the emirate’s cultural heritage, under the guidance of Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Heritage Law.
As such, DCT Abu Dhabi uses its many cultural centres and programmes to find new ways to conserve heritage, such as documenting oral histories and ensuring the continuity of traditional practices.
The emirate of Abu Dhabi has a rich cultural heritage, of which many historic elements remain alive, enriching daily life and adding value to modern heritage through efforts led by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi to conserve and safeguard heritage and promote cultural assets as features of the national identity and culture of the UAE.
Cultural heritage in Abu Dhabi includes a wide variety of tangible and intangible elements, the result of the biodiversity seen across the vast expanses of sea, desert and oasis that encompass Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra, which borders the Empty Quarter desert, and Al Ain, home to one of the region’s oldest human settlements and still inhabited to this day.
Cultural heritage is not limited to historical sites and artefacts, but also comprises inherited traditions and daily customs, oral traditions, performing arts, social and celebratory practices, and traditional handicrafts and professions.
Mohamed Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi enjoys wide cultural diversity, giving it a distinctive appeal and enriching the visitor experience, especially because many of its heritage practices remain a part of daily life. This goes beyond the historical buildings we have renovated and reopened as cultural attractions, and incorporates programmes, festivals and activities developed to highlight these traditional elements. Such efforts help keep our history and national identity alive, and celebrate our ancestors’ fortitude in adapting to environmental conditions and their innovative and artistic contributions in crafts, philosophy, poetry, music, storytelling and other areas.
“DCT Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage strategy involves three main pillars – the documentation and conservation of heritage, the fostering of abilities and expertise to continue traditional practices, and the creation of modern cultural heritage, outlining societal growth in modern times,” Mr Al Mubarak said.
“Our focus on culture stems from our belief in the significance of our national heritage, several elements of which have achieved international renown through their inscription on the Unesco List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”
Unesco’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Currently, eight UAE heritage elements have been inscribed on the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, namely falconry, Al Sadu (weaving), al ayyala (traditional group performance), al taghrooda (poetry), Gahwa (Arabic coffee), majlis (council gathering), al azi and al razfa (both traditional performing arts). DCT Abu Dhabi is committed to preserving these heritage elements through partnerships with cultural and community institutions, experts and artisans, and continues to host specialised workshops to develop competencies in heritage collection, documentation and conservation.
DCT Abu Dhabi has played a pivotal role in registering six of these items on the Unesco list, particularly in the joint international filings that led to the registration of some elements as shared heritage among several countries. These include the international file for Falconry, jointly submitted by more than 17 countries in an excellent example of multinational collaboration.
Ongoing initiatives
As vital elements of its operations, DCT Abu Dhabi uses its various cultural centres and comprehensive programmes to find new methods of conserving and promoting heritage, including documenting oral heritage and ensuring the continuity of traditional practices.
To that end, DCT Abu Dhabi established the House of Artisans on the Al Hosn cultural site to bolster its efforts to safeguard traditional Emirati practices and handicrafts, enabling the transfer of relevant knowledge and skills across generations and ensuring their sustainability. Located in the heart of the capital, the House of Artisans plays a pivotal role in reviving traditional crafts and integrating them into contemporary cultural activities through training courses, workshops and other public events.
Another initiative launched by DCT Abu Dhabi is Bait Al Gahwa, aimed at reviving the traditional Emirati process of preparing and serving Arabic coffee. Through providing a comprehensive framework for the practices associated with Arabic coffee and Majlis, symbolic of generosity, hospitality and openness, the initiative aims to contribute to their preservation and documentation, as inscribed in the Unesco files. Live demonstrations and experiences are offered to visitors at the House of Artisans.
Through its annual Traditional Handicrafts Festival, DCT Abu Dhabi provides Emirati artisans with a platform to display their unique skills live for audiences. Held at Al Qattara Souq in Al Ain, each edition of the festival involves the participation of more than 100 artisans.
Under the theme Crafts of the Ancestors, Pride of the People, this year’s Traditional Handicrafts Festival starts on October 30 with a
rich calendar of engaging events and workshops that target local practitioners of traditional crafts and professions, entities specialising in the promotion and sale of traditional products, as well as local and government bodies and educational institutions that work to preserve, produce and develop these handicrafts.
Another major annual event hosted by DCT Abu Dhabi is the GCC Heritage and Oral History Conference, gathering academics and researchers in the fields of GCC heritage and history to present research and studies and share successful experiences in documenting heritage and history.
Historical sites
In the Al Ain region, DCT Abu Dhabi manages several important archeological sites, historical buildings and oases, which are vital elements of Abu Dhabi’s history. DCT Abu Dhabi is also responsible for the management and development of culturally significant sites, including those inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage Site list: the six oases in Al Ain and the archeological sites at Hili, Jebel Hafit and Bida bint Saud.
Al Ain city is home to numerous historical sites, such as Al Jahili Fort, Qasr Al Muwaiji, and Al Qattara Arts Centre. Other major cultural sites include Al Ain Palace Museum, which is currently being restored and expanded, and a number of historical homes that serve as landmarks of local architecture, such as Al Darmaki House.
These sites host a year-round agenda of heritage-based programmes and specialised interactive workshops, such as the Royal Bisht and the Emirati Khanjar workshops, through which experts demonstrate the art of making these traditional objects. The cultural programmes also feature plays, film screenings and panel discussions exploring a wide spectrum of topics, in addition to guided tours of local oases and archeological sites.
DCT Abu Dhabi is responsible for the implementation of Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Heritage Law and relevant regulations, as well as for conducting excavations to uncover traces of ancient civilisations in the emirate, and documenting and protecting historical buildings.
Modern heritage
In its efforts to preserve Emirati heritage and ensure its continuing relevance to everyday life, DCT Abu Dhabi encourages and supports innovative work involving heritage-based artistic practices. This is exemplified in the recently launched Gahwa Championships, the first event of its kind to celebrate Arabic coffee as a practice intrinsic to the region’s culture. To gain the greatest amount of exposure, both regionally and internationally, the championships will coincide with the region’s premier food, beverage and hospitality fair, SIAL Middle East 2019. The competition will feature several categories that test contestants’ knowledge and practical skills, including the history of Gahwa, the selection of beans and proficiency in the preparation and serving processes.
Additionally, DCT Abu Dhabi is supporting an upcoming initiative led by Flânerie Colbert Abu Dhabi.
Flânerie Colbert Abu Dhabi: French Luxury in the 21st Century will take place from November 12 to December 14 at the House of Artisans, The Galleria in Al Maryah Island, the Abu Dhabi Art Fair and Louvre Abu Dhabi. With the participation of 84 French luxury houses and 16 cultural institutions, the event will feature French and Emirati artisans engaged in cross-cultural dialogue and demonstrations, showcasing Emirati skills in al sadu (weaving), al khous (woven palm leaves), al talli (embroidery) and dagger-making, alongside French cuisine and the arts of crafting silverware and leather products.
In another context, the Cultural Foundation in Al Hosn and Manarat Al Saadiyat continue to serve as centres that facilitate the creation of new contemporary forms of artistic expression, including visual arts, theatre, music, cinema and poetry, through year-round public programming that successfully attracts a wide range of patrons from different segments of society.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s efforts in the preservation of heritage are also continuously complemented by the projects and initiatives of other relevant institutions and organisations across the emirate, such as the Liwa Date Festival, held in Al Dhafra Region each year in celebration of the harvesting season; Al Dhafra Festival, which focuses on the traditions of camel breeding, racing and camel beauty competitions; and the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival, which runs for more than a month in Al Wathba, providing a vivid experience of the old Emirati way of living. All together, with these events, Abu Dhabi presnets an incredible variety of heritage activities that are popular with the community throughout the year.
Heritage documentation
In light of the difficulties generally faced in documenting those aspects of heritage that have been transferred orally and lack archival documentation, DCT Abu Dhabi has made a concerted effort to provide a clear reference framework for conducting scientific, procedure-based documentation practices. The department has issued more than 200 publications covering methods of teaching and transferring heritage through integration into the educational curriculums; mechanisms of collection and registration; and an educational series on the Unesco World Heritage List of inscribed elements. Special studies have been produced on various heritage elements such as the palm, falaj, camels, and other essential components of traditional Emirati life, including songs, traditions, performing arts, folk tales, dialects and biographies of historical or socially influential figures. DCT Abu Dhabi has also published a series of books highlighting the emirate’s most important archaeological discoveries and their related academic studies.