Sharjah’s pavilion at the Moscow International Book Fair (MIBF 2019) has been a hive of excitement and activity since the fair began on Sunday. Russian and international crowds are steadily streaming in to try out a colourful ensemble of traditional Emirati rituals put together by Sharjah’s cultural entities.

Book lovers are taking their pick from an exhaustive collection of 59 Arabic language books published in Russian for the first time. Female visitors are getting dozens of pictures clicked in  burqas and Emirati folk attires accessorised with traditional pieces of jewellery. Their male counterparts enthusiastically trying on the Kandura, Ghutra and Iqbal beautifully symbolises the triumph of Sharjah’s continuous efforts to demystify Emirati and Arab cultures to people from other parts of the world – just make it accessible and enjoyable.

Another section of the pavilion is packed with loud conversations of Emirati artists busy drawing intricate henna designs on the palms of visitors as they sip on hot gahwa (Arabic coffee) being served to them in the traditional handle-less cups finjaan. And then there is Emirati calligrapher, Khalid Al Jallaf, who is stunning his audience by taking no more than a few seconds to masterfully etch their names in three Arabic calligraphy styles of Thuluth, Naskh and Diwani.

The activities are a continuation of the Sharjah’s efforts to promote Arab and Islamic culture worldwide by sharing its history, and is achievements in literature, music and art. The emirate is ‘Guest City’ at MIBF 2019, which concludes on Sunday, September 8.