Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, visited several libraries in the city of Porto this week. The libraries included in his tour were the Municipal Library of Porto and the historical Lello Library. The Municipal library was founded in 1833 and is one of the largest and oldest public libraries in Portugal.
Read more: Sharjah Ruler granted honorary doctorate from University of Coimbra in Portugal - in pictures
Visiting libraries might not seem the obvious activity to pursue whilst on a private holiday, but these libraries held important context and the keys to a project close to the Ruler of Sharjah's heart. Sheikh Dr Sultan is an Arabian Gulf historian.
Of particular interest to Sheikh Dr Sultan was Ahmed Ibn Majid. Ibn Majid (full name Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Majid al-Dîn Ahmad) was a navigator and sailor who was born in 1421 in what is now Ras Al Khaimah.
His prowess at navigation brought him renown in the Arab world, and he authored a number of texts covering everything to do with sailing, including the principles of navigation, astronomy, weather, and port locations stretching from East Africa to Indonesia. Two of the hand-written books he authored are on display in the National Library in Paris.
His fame in the West grew only after his death: the reason he became a globally-known figure is that it was said that he was the navigator who led Vasco De Gama from the African East Coast to India in 1498. A move that left Muslim lands exposed to invaders.
Sheikh Dr Sultan disputes this claim, and in his 2002 In Memorandum for Historians on the Innocence of Ibn Majid he provides proof that it was, in fact, a Christian-Gujarati from India who guided da Gama to India. The book, the first official documentation on Ibn Majid's innocence, is based on the original manuscripts from the diaries of the first voyage of da Gama. The manuscripts are housed in the Municipal Library of Porto in Portugal, which explains why the library is special to him.
During this visit, Sheikh Dr Sultan underlined that his interest in historical truths comes from the moral obligation towards finding and communicating true facts - knowledge everyone has a right to.
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Read more:
Sharjah Ruler is 'King of the BBQ' as he celebrates his birthday in style
A sheikh among the sharks: Crown Prince of Dubai's jaw-dropping selfie
On the move: Life lessons from an Arabian navigator
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
