Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and in the presence of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), the Sharjah Archaeology Authority opened yesterday evening the exhibition “Mleiha: An Arab Kingdom on the Silk Road” at the Miho Museum in Japan, which will continue until December 15, 2024.
The exhibition aims to highlight the ancient history and role of Mleiha as an important hub on the Silk Road, as part of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority’s efforts to enhance global awareness of the cultural and civilizational heritage of the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE.
The opening of the exhibition was attended by Issa Yousef, Director General of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority, Professor Isao Kumakura, Director of the Miho Museum, Yukiko Koyama, Head of the Miho Museum Office, His Excellency Hiroki Iwanaga, Mayor of Koka City, a number of members of the diplomatic corps, Marwan Ahmed Al Naqbi, Deputy Head of the Mission, and a group of prominent figures and diplomats in the fields of culture and archaeology.
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi expressed her gratitude for this cultural cooperation with Japan, stressing that the Sharjah Archaeology Authority’s organization of such events enhances international relations and helps build bridges of cultural communication between peoples and document the historical ties that unite us. She added that Mleiha and its rich cultural heritage are an integral part of our Arab identity, as we seek through this exhibition to demonstrate the profound impact of our civilization on the world and enhance it as a source of inspiration for future generations.
For his part, Issa Yousef said that the exhibition “Mleiha: An Arab Kingdom on the Silk Road” comes within the framework of the integrated cultural strategy of the Emirate of Sharjah, which focuses on investment and sustainability in culture and knowledge and strengthening national identity by highlighting the cultural heritage of the UAE and the Emirate of Sharjah in international forums and world museums. The organization of this international exhibition confirms the role of Mleiha as part of the great human history and as a rich source of identity and national pride, as it is one of the most important historical sites in the Arabian Peninsula. It also represents part of a series of initiatives aimed at promoting cultural and archaeological tourism, praising the cooperation with the Miho Museum in Japan, which reflects the strength of cultural relations between the two countries and enhances the vision of the emirate as a civilized center that attracts those interested in cultural heritage from all over the world.
The exhibition includes more than 160 artifacts considered national treasures and represent important cultural properties that illustrate the different forms of life in the Kingdom of Mleiha. It also includes a description of more than 160 artifacts, including 40 pieces considered national treasures and 49 pieces representing important cultural properties, in addition to some recent discoveries that are being displayed for the first time to the Japanese public, dealing with the different forms of life in the Kingdom of Mleiha.
The exhibition also provides a detailed analysis of Mleiha’s central role in global trade, particularly the Silk Road, which linked East and West and was an example of peaceful coexistence in the region. The displayed artifacts are living testimonies of cultural and commercial communication, represented in several topics: “The Meeting Point of the East, the Origins of Arab Culture”, “The Mleiha Period: Sites of Mleiha and Dibba Al-Hisn”, “Natural Blessings: The World of Flora and Fauna”, daily life, currencies, in addition to trade and cultural exchange, religious beliefs and standards of beauty.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, the Sharjah Archaeology Authority will conduct a comprehensive tour that includes the Miho Museum on “Ancient Art from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Iran, Afghanistan, China and Japan”, which represents a group of the most famous art museums in the world, a visit to Misono, the headquarters of Shinji Shomeikai, and the Shomei Natural Farm (traditional house), in addition to visiting several sites registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, such as the Golden Pavilion Temple “Kinkaku-ji”, which combines the three styles of Japanese architecture.
It is noteworthy that the Authority participated in the “Contact of Civilizations: From Ancient Central Asia to East Asia” exhibition, which was held at the “Miho” Museum in Japan in 2022, by displaying a group of rare archaeological discoveries, the most important of which are copper coins dating back to the period of the emergence of the ancient Silk Road, as vital areas in the Arabian Peninsula contributed to building solid and stable economic and cultural bridges amidst the commercial movement and knowledge exchange between the peoples of Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Europe in times dating back to the period before Christ and the periods after it.
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