Umm Al Quwain shows off its rich cultural wealth

Emirati students yesterday visited the emirate of Umm Al Quwain, which is home to a wealth of archaeological and historical artefacts.

The Journey of the Union, a programme organised by Al Bayt Mitwahid, moved on to Umm Al Quwain. Seen here drawing is Sheikha Al Bayraq. Lee Hoagland/The National.
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UMM AL QUWAIN // Emirati students yesterday visited the emirate of Umm Al Quwain, which is home to a wealth of archaeological and historical artefacts.

They began their tour at the UAQ Centre of Archaeology, which opened in 2011 and houses ancient artefacts and fossils that were found there.

Rania Hussein Kanouma, an excavator at the centre, said it had two large exhibition halls.

The first contains relics from the Ed-Dur site, which is the largest site of pre-Islamic interest onn the Arabian Gulf coast. The second hall displays Stone Age items that date back to the 6th century BC.

“Ed-Dur was known since the early 1970s to many expeditions from Iraq and Europe,” said Mr Kanouma.

“Now there are local expeditions that excavate artefacts such as pottery, glass and coins that are available in the first hall in the centre.”

The second hall has “the oldest pearl in human history, stones, primitive materials for fishermen, beads and fish bones”.

The students later visited the Umm Al Quwain Museum, which is based in a fort that was built in 1768.

The fort was the centre of government and residence of the ruling family until 1969 and it became the museum in 2000.

The museum showcases Bedouin jewellery, weapons and other prized artefacts.

The students ended their day with a visit to the Ed-Dur archaeological site. The four-kilometre-long site is the largest of its kind in the region.

Since excavation began in the 1980s, archaeologists have uncovered ancient temples, fragments of statues and burial mounds.

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