Sharjah Archaeology Authority Welcomes World Heritage Experts

SHARJAH, (Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2020) A group of world heritage experts recently visited archaeological sites in Sharjah's Cultural Landscape of the Central Region and provided their feedback about the emirate's file, which is part of the tentative list of the UAE, in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.

The Sharjah Archaeology Authority hosted the experts, which included Young Christopher, Archaeologist, Expert Member of the ICOMOS scientific committees and former head of International advice at the English Heritage, and Margaret Gowen, Archaeologist and Expert Member of the ICOMOS scientific committees. Archaeologists Cynthia Dunning and Ellinor Dunning were also invited as heritage consultants.

The committee from the emirate of Sharjah was represented by Eisa Yousif, Chairman of the committee and Director of the Excavation and Archaeological Sites and tangible heritage; Kamyar Kamyab, Historic Conservation Architect, and Yazan Abu Al-Hassan, Historic Conservation Expert.

In January 2018, H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued an administrative decree establishing a committee of the World Heritage File for the Cultural Landscapes of the Central Region in Sharjah. The Administrative Decision No. (1) decreed the establishment of a committee in the emirate, called "The Committee of the World Heritage File for the Cultural Landscape of the Central Region in the Emirate of Sharjah".

The objectives of this workshop included answering queries regarding the contents of the file, and highlighting the points required to be implemented by the state party. Doing so can help the Sharjah Archaeology Authority protect the archaeological sites in the central region and other areas in Sharjah. The process of the preparation of the file was also assessed, along with the work of the committee members in evaluating the nominations.

This area was the cradle of civilisation dating back thousands of years, and was in constant contact with the civilisations of the Mediterranean Sea, South Asia, and the South, North, and East of the Arabian Peninsula and Mesopotamia.