Turkish Prime Minister visits Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

The Turkish Prime Minister's visit, which was accompanied by his excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, comes on the side-lines of his participation in the second Government Communication Forum (GCF 2013), held under the theme 'Effective Communication- Unified Message', which was opened on Sunday by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, at the Expo Centre in Sharjah.

Prime Minister Erdoğan and his accompanying delegation were received by Manal Ataya, Director General of SMD, Aisha Deemas, Director of Executive Affairs at SMD, Dr Ulrike Al Khamis, Strategic Advisor/ Islamic and Middle Eastern Art Collections and Projects at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, and a number of SMD officials and administrators.

The Turkish Prime Minister's visit marks an important step in his desire to become familiarised with the cultural institutions in the UAE, especially in Sharjah, which was named the Capital of Arabic Culture for 1998 andhas been chosen as the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2014 as well as the Capital of Arab Tourism 2015 in recognition of its leading cultural role at local, regional, Arab and international levels.

Prime Minister Erdoğan and his entourage toured the Museum's halls and galleries which contain Islamic collections and more than 5000 exquisite artworksart from different parts of the Islamic world, with some dating back some 1400 years.

On the first leg of his tour, Prime Minister Erdoğan stopped at the Abu Bakr Gallery of Islamic Faith. Here he viewed a unique collection of Islamic treasures, manuscripts, and architectural models, in addition to a facsimile of the the famous 'Mashaf Osman'. He then viewed the black embroidered curtain, called Sitara or Kiswa, used to cover the sacred K'aba building at Makkah al-Mukarramah.

Prime Minister Erdogan also viewed a rare collection of historical photos showing pilgrims performing the Hajj in Makkah, and then proceeded to the manuscripts and mosque section of the Gallery, where he viewed unique Ottoman manuscripts, such as a rare Qur'an executed by Hafiz Osman and dating back to 1664. The Prime Minister then headed to the Ibn al Haitham Gallery of Islamic Science and Technology, which displays a large number of inventions, tools and scientific accomplishments from all over the Islamic world..

Highlighting the importance of the visit, Manal Ataya, SMD Director General, said, "We are extremely proud and honored that the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is on the special programme of the Turkish Prime Minister's visit to the UAE, a fact that recognizes Sharjah's vital cultural position regionally and internationally."

This visit also comes in recognition of the strong ties between Turkey and UAE, particularly cultural en artistic exchanges as per the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

GCF 2013, which hosts around 40 speakers from the Arab region and the wider world, is centred around the need for switching the current principles of government communication from 'talking to people' to 'talking with people', and the need for more flexibility in the light of the civil movements witnessed across the world at large, and the Arab world in particular. Speakers include high-profile political, government, media and academic figures, in addition to experts in the field of government communication from all over the world.

The Government Communication Forum (GCF) is an annual forum, which imports the latest global best practices in the fields of government communication, media, public relations and other related fields into the region and especially into Sharjah. GCF is being held at the Expo Centre Sharjah from 24 - 25 February 2013.