UAE: 10 things to do at Sharjah Heritage Days

The Sharjah Heritage Days 2021, taking place in the historic Heart of Sharjah district, is showcasing the unique customs and traditions of the UAE and 29 other countries. The festival is naturally attracting talents from the emirate and far and wide. There’s plenty to do in terms of activities and performances – so much so that one evening might not be enough to satiate the explorer in you. But to make things easier, here is a round-up of some of the most exciting activities and things to do.

Eat delicious Omani halwa – You’re not just savouring the indulgent gelatinous sweet but also a slice of Omani history at the halwa stall, as the recipe has not changed since 1961. Try the traditional black and yellow varieties topped with figs, olives and nuts. Where: Al Omani Sweet Factory stall.

Get spooked out – SHD is a family affair, even at the Horror House that takes you on an intensely spooky tour through a traditional palm frond house “inhabited” by djinns, ghouls and other macabre characters famous in Emirati folktales like Umm Al Duwais, Baba Daryah and Abu Salasel. Enter if you dare! Where: Horror House opposite Main Stage.

Enjoy live folk dances – The festival is a feast for the eyes and senses in more ways than one. Take a dekko at some of the folk dances and performances from countries like Belarus, Tajikistan, Syria, Spain, Kazakhstan, India, Montenegro and others. With their colourful costumes and high energy moves, they make for the perfect entertainment as well as a mini culture-and-history lesson on these countries. Where: Main Stage, Community Theatre and various locations around the festival venue.

Watch traditional Emirati crafts in action – The whole idea of visiting the festival is to get an insight into the traditional Emirati way of life and culture. Try your hand at making traditional Emirati pottery from Ras Al Khaimah at the Pottery in the UAE exhibition. At the Heritage Crafts Village, you can see biryani being cooked for hours, Emirati women making their own perfumes and kohl and more such activities. Where: Multiple venues.

Pose with a falcon – No UAE festival is complete without the country’s favourite bird at hand. Take souvenir photos with the falcon on your arm and also learn about the 4,000-year history of falconry as practiced by the Bedouins in the Arabian Peninsula. Where: Near Sharjah Sports Council pavilion. Watch a weapon smith at work – Had enough of battle royale video games and virtual war games? You can also watch a real weapons master from Kazakhstan at work as he fashions swords, clubs, shields, axes, spears and more, which showcases the country’s famous military history. Where: Kazakhstan Pavilion.

Treat your children to ‘game night’ – Wondering where to take your little ones this weekend? Look no further than the Sharjah Heritage Days children’s competitions to entertain and challenge young ones with prizes that will surely put a smile on their faces. In addition, the Children’s Village pavilion offers a number of games and activities for young ones to learn and play. Where: Main Stage, various timings; Children’s Village Pavilion.

Go down memory lane – Nothing brings nostalgia to the fore than old collectibles and household items that look like museum pieces now. At Emirati collector Saeed Ahmad Al Kashri’s recreated Areesh “home”, you can check out decades-old transistor and TV sets, record players, rotary dial phones, old notebooks, currency notes, vintage soda bottles, kitchen and lifestyle curiosities that will be familiar to UAE citizens and residents who recall the latter decades of the 20th century. Where: Districts and Villages Authority Pavilion.

Take a sneak peek into a centuries-old Emirati beauty ritual at Sharjah Heritage Days. The practice of applying kohl is a tradition that runs deep in Emirati societies, reveals a veteran kohl-maker at the 18th Sharjah Heritage Days, as she demonstrates the art of making the traditional Emirati kohl using ‘ithmid’ or ‘antimony’ – a lustrous grey metalloid sourced from the Al Hejaz region in Saudi Arabia. The twin benefits of beauty and health in the ‘ithmid’ kohl come from the use of its natural ingredients.

Check out the ‘Mountain Environment’ set up at the 18th edition of Sharjah Heritage Days. It's En. It is one of four major landscapes of the UAE represented at SHD this year – the others being Bedouin, Agriculture and Sea.