It’s impossible to ignore the call of UAE mountains

Sharjah - Sharjah Heritage Days showcases lives of mountain dwellers

Life in the mountains was one of absolute freedom, reminisces Ras Al Khaimah resident Saeed Sabat Al Dhuhouri, as he offers a personal insight into a unique way of life at the recreated ‘Mountain Environment’ set up at the 18th edition of Sharjah Heritage Days (SHD).

It is through the memories and experiences of former mountain dwellers and the recreated settings of summer and winter dwellings and occupations the people engaged in, that visitors at the ongoing cultural festival at the Heart of Sharjah, can discover the way of life in the mountain ranges of the UAE in olden times.

Al Dhuhouri says every family had a summer and winter home made of roughly-hewn rocks. Small openings in the summer houses ensured proper ventilation, while in the winter homes, the interior rocky walls were plastered to retain the warmth. The entire setting has been recreated, and inside one can find the simple belongings of the household — cooking utensils, incense burners, water pots, wooden chests containing clothes and jewellery, and large clay pots to store foodgrains.

When winter ended, it was customary to lock up and move to the summer house, says Al Dhuhouri, who still has four homes in the mountains. A large pile of mud cakes sits atop a tannour-like oven, which he explains was lit with straw and wood. Under the heat, the mud cakes would crumble to a powder and this cement-like material was used for construction purposes.