Sharjah: The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (ISESCO) heritage committee added the Heart of Sharjah site and the Sharjah Fort to the list of heritage buildings in the Islamic world. This was announced at the tenth meeting of the Islamic World Heritage Committee in Rabat, Morocco, this month.
The Heart of Sharjah and Sharjah Fort are the first sites in the UAE to be included on the ISESCO list.
Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) submitted nominations to ISESCO last July, which highlighted the archaeological, historical and artistic value of these sites, in addition to their architectural elements and reports on the state of their preservation.
Strategic location
The emirate of Sharjah is listed on ISESCO’s heritage sites in the Islamic world based on its distinguished historical role in maintaining the security of global trade in the Gulf and providing all conditions to secure transportation and movement across the Arabian Gulf, helped by its strategic location that facilitated cultural communication between the East and West.
Cultural heritage sites
Dr Sabah Jassim, director-general of SAA, said: “The registration of these sites comes in line with the authority’s strategy and plan to preserve the cultural heritage of the emirate, where cultural heritage sites in the central region of the emirate of Sharjah were registered on the preliminary list of UNESCO in 2012.
Dr Jassim confirmed that the authority continues to evaluate archaeological sites in the emirate and their eligibility for them to be nominated for international recognitions.
