His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi inaugurates 'Lure of the East: British Orientalist Painting' exhibition

His Highness toured the exhibition, which will last till April 30, 2009, and viewed the displayed paintings, which represent an important era for the region.

The tremendous support of His Highness forms the basis of the boom that the Emirate is witnessing in the fields of art, culture and heritage. "Lure of the East" comes in line with the government of Sharjah's vision to promote art and culture, for all-round human development. Sharjah has become a platform for highlighting cultural heritage regionally and internationally.

"Lure of the East" is organized by Tate Britain in partnership with the British Council - United Arab Emirates; the Pera Museum - Istanbul and the Sharjah Art Museum - United Arab Emirates.

Manal Ataya, Director, Sharjah Museums Department, said:

"We are greatly thankful to His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi for his continued support to Sharjah Museums Department and his kind patronage of "Lure of the East" exhibition. For the first time in the Middle East region, the Emirate of Sharjah is hosting such a renowned exhibition"

"Sharjah Museums Department is focused on promoting culture and arts, and so far with God's will, we have realized a big part of our goal. We have launched several exhibitions and cultural initiatives that have been appreciated regionally and internationally. We believe that art plays a vital role in bridging the gap between cultures and enhancing art and cultural relations between the Arab and international world," added Ataya.

"Lure of the East" is a showcase of works of art by Orientalist artists of international acclaim. The exhibition features paintings of the Orient by British artists ranging from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century. Orientalist painting derived its subject matter from the diverse peoples and places of what the British called the Orient, an area that roughly corresponds to present-day Turkey, Syria, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria. Paintings from international renowned museums and institutions will also be exhibited in the Middle East for the first time.

Among those who attended the inauguration ceremony were Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Sharjah Crown Prince, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Al Qassimi - Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Essam bin Saqr bin Hamid Al Qassimi, Chairman, Sharjah Ruler's Office, Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ports Authority, Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority Chairman Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Sheikh Tarek Bin Faisal Al Qassimi, Edward Oakden CMG, British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, German Consul, Manal Ataya, Director General, Sharjah Museums Department, Stephen Deuchar, Director, Tate Britain, and representatives from the British Council.

The Sharjah Museums Department, established in 2006 by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi aims to promote the emirate's rich legacy of arts, heritage and culture.