UAE | Heritage and Culture
Steps under way to preserve ancient sites
Authorities are taking extra measures to preserve local heritage sites from the rapid development plans that are currently taking place across the country.
- By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:36 October 27, 2008
Sharjah: Authorities are taking extra measures to preserve local heritage sites from the rapid development plans that are currently taking place across the country.
"We have to strike a balance between the need for tourism and the need to preserving heritage sites. We are currently working on developing skills in the field of conservation so that these sites will be carefully preserved," said Dr Zaki Aslan, Project Manager, Athar Programme, Sites Unit.
The Athar Programme was established in Italy in 2004 and aims to protect and promote the cultural heritage of Arab countries, while working in collaboration with the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).
Speaking at the Athar third regional course organised by Department of Culture in Sharjah yesterday, Aslan pointed out that academic and government institutions will be able to benefit by adopting new methodological approaches to promote heritage sites.
"We have received a great amount of interest from local authorities who are keen to preserve historical sites, which can be damaged by the city's expansion projects and the lack of interest from the public," he stressed.
Several popular heritage sites in the country include Sharjah Heritage Area, Bastakiya district in Dubai and the Qasr Al Hosn (Old Fort) in Abu Dhabi. "Sharjah Museums Department have already requested for books that will be handed out to school teachers, so that they can start educating children from a young age on the importance of protecting their heritage," said Aslan.
Several other institutions who have already participated in the programme include the University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah.
In order to encourage the advanced techniques used in preserving historical sites, the Government of Sharjah signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Athar in February 2008, when the programme was in its second phase.
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