Sharjah’s historic buildings on ISESCO’s final list

The Heritage Committee of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) has added the Heart of Sharjah site and the Sharjah Fort to the list of heritage in the Islamic world, during the 10th meeting of the Islamic World Heritage Committee in Rabat, Morocco, this month.

Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) submitted nomination files to ISESCO in July 2021, which addressed the archaeological, historical and artistic value of these sites, in addition to their architectural elements, and reports on the state of their preservation.

The listed site embraced many historical buildings, including the historic Sharjah Fort, commercial markets and historical buildings.

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 evaluating archaeological sites in the emirate and its eligibility to be nominated for international lists, noting that the results of these studies will be announced soon.

The Heart of Sharjah and Sharjah Fort are the first sites in the UAE to be included on the ISESCO list.

WAM