Teach Middle East Magazine Issue 2 Volume 2 Nov-Dec 2014 | Page 58

know Your UAE THE SHARJAH HERITAGE MUSEUM 2 I n our September issue, we took a look at the Sharjah Heritage Museum. The museum holds a wealth of information that is useful to those who are visiting the UAE for the first time, as well as to those who live and work here. Some of the areas that were covered in the last issue included snapshots of traditional knowledge, important cultural rituals involving babies, the Drour calendar and the Al Rolla tree. In this issue, we continue to explore the UAE’s rich history as we look at jobs and occupations of the past, a few traditions and the role of the mosque. rope. Pieces of palm trunk, leaves and fibres were used to fill the inside of the boat. These boats were designed to carry two or four men and their fishing equipment. Imported wood was used to build fishing, pearling and transportation ships of various sizes. Pearl Diving Al Gargour (Fish Trap) Al Sha’sha (Fishing Boat) Building In the past, using the raw material from palm trees, two skilled men could build a sha’sha (boat) in 3 days. Palm branches were bent around a wooden frame and held in place by palm fibre 56 Nov - Dec 2014 This was traditionally made from palm leaves and took the shape of a basket. Al gargour was used to catch a variety of fish. Traps were weighted with stones and baited with fresh or rotted fish. Today, most gargour is made from galvanised steel. After The Bell There were two types of pearls harvested by UAE pearl divers… these were the Black-lip (pinctada margaritifera) and the Rayed (pinctada radiate). The Black-lip was the central focus of the pearling industry as it could grow up to 30cm in length. The inner lining of pearl oysters and some molluscs have an iridescent layer composed of calcium carbonate known as mother of pearl. Pearls were used to make buttons and jewellery. Due to their high cost, pearls were used sparingly and in combination with other precious metals and gems.