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Look: SIBF gifted mosaic made of 1,971 stones to celebrate UAE's year of unity

'This is a simple gesture to express our gratitude,' said a representative of the Mauritanian publishing house which made the gift

A mosaic artwork crafted from 1,971 stones of different sizes and colours was made in Mauritania and given as a gift to the UAE at the Sharjah Internationa Book Fair (SIBF).

A representative of Dar Al-Mazhab pavilion presented the mosaic as a gift from the Najibawayh Knowledge House in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

"This is a simple gesture to express our gratitude for the support the United Arab Emirates has shown us. The artwork, which depicts an eagle and the United Arab Emirates name written in Arabic on it, was crafted using 1,971 mosaic stones, which holds great significance as it marks the year of the UAE's union," said the representative.

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Ahmed Najib Ould Al-Sharif, the founder and director of Diwan Al-Shanagita (the Repository of Mauritanian Heritage and Literature) and Dar Al-Mazhab for Printing, Publishing, and Distribution, said that mosaic artists in the institution's art department broke down 1,971 pebbles of varying sizes and colours.

A black-and-white image of the UAE's falcon was placed on a circular wooden base to guide them. The artists carefully arranged the pebbles over the image, painted them in the official colours of the UAE, and adhered them with natural glue.

Al-Sharif added white pebbles for the background until the total reached the specified number. Once complete, the artwork was framed with a circular border to secure the pebbles at the edges, ensuring the piece remained intact and flawless. As Al-Sharif stated, work on one painting usually takes between 20 and 40 days, depending on its accuracy, details, and the number of pebbles used.

The mosaic rocks originate from Mauritania. This desert nation has landscapes resembling those in the Gulf countries. The region has mountains, such as Atar Mountain, from where the rocks have been fractured into pieces suitable for creating mosaic paintings.

Mosaic and tessellation arts are relatively new in Mauritania, and the Najibawayh Knowledge House introduced them. However, mosaic art has ancient origins, as it dates back to the time of the Greeks who used it to decorate palaces and temples with mosaics. The Romans followed suit, and later, Muslims used mosaics for mosques and royal palaces in Andalusia. From there, the art spread to the Maghreb and then to the Levant, where it adorned the Dome of the Rock and sites in Petra, Jordan, and its surroundings.

Al-Sharif spoke about the most challenging part of the mosaic artwork and that was writing the phrase (United Arab Emirates) under the falcon because the writing is on fine-sized pebbles that are difficult to form and mould. The piece was described as highly distinctive and presented to the administration at SIBF as a gesture of gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for its efforts towards the book fair.

Other mosaic artwork

Another mosaic artwork presented at SIBF was the Chinguetti mosque in Mauritania, built as an essential place of worship in the thirteen or fourteen hundreds. The minaret, a tall tower used for the call to prayer, is believed to be the second oldest in the Muslim world and is still in use today. As stated by the Dar Al Mazhab pavilion representative, Chinguetti mosque still uses the sun to determine the time of prayer, which symbolizes and represents the preservation of Mauritania's heritage and history.

Future mosaic artwork

Al-Sharif mentioned that one of the upcoming projects of Najibawayh Knowledge House in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is completing a mosaic artwork which will be showcased at the forthcoming Abu Dhabi Book Fair. The mosaic will depict the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE.

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