Ras
Al Khaimah Customs
Customs
and traditions are passed on from parents to children
and in the long run they are inherited by generations.
The
people of UAE are known for their generosity, bravery
and friendliness. They have a great legacy which
they are still proud of, despite the speedy and
tremendous transformation and development that took
place in the society. The people of UAE have also
adopted some of the various customs and traditions
brought into their country by expatriates from all
over the world. Although the UAE has become a cosmopolitan
society, people still boast of the great heritage
of their forefathers.
It
is the custom of the UAE people to entertain their
guests warmly. They usually serve Arabic coffee
to their guests as a gesture of respect and warm
welcome. It is a symbol of generosity and hospitality.
The Arabic coffee is made and served in very special
way.
Folk dances and other traditional sports are still
highly appreciated by many people. Falconry, horseback
riding, camel racing, boat racing and rowing are
a few examples.
Songs
praising God are sung on special occasions to promote
spiritual feelings and reinforce people's belief.
The Prophet's Birthday, the Hijrah New Year and
Isra & Meraj are some examples.
National Dress
National costumes of UAE are divided into
two main categories:
*
The costumes which were used very long ago and are
now out of fashion. It is not easy to find any of
them nowadays.
* Old costumes commonly used in the first half of
the twentieth century.
The
present national clothes are a continuation of the
old costumes of early Muslims. However, due to the
cultural changes that have taken place in all the
classes of the society, the national clothes, especially
women's clothes, have changed significantly. The
following is a brief description of the national
clothes of women and men in the UAE.
Women's
clothes
Women's clothes in the UAE look like the
usual clothes worn by women all over the Arabian
Peninsula. The dress, commonly called "Nafnoof"
or "Al Goon" is a long variety that reaches
down to the feet. UAE women also wear an embroidered
"Kandoorah" whose style varies according
to its embroidery, fashion or material. They also
usually wear a "Sirwal" under the "Kandoorah".
Women cover their head and face with a loose scarf
called "Sheelah" or "Waqayah".
Sometimes a woman would cover her face with a sort
of veil called "Borgo" which is a special
piece of cloth tied to the rear of the head and
partly covers the face. She usually wears a black
mantel to cover the whole dressed body and special
shoes or sandals, too.
Men's
clothes
Men all over the country nearly wear the
same unified dress called “Kandurah”.
Men usually wear as underwear a "Wezar"
or "Wezarah" with which they wrap the
lower half of their body. The head cover called
"Ghottrah" is usually supported by a black
or white "Kofiyyah" or "Eqal".
Under the "Ghottrah" and the "Eqal",
men usually wear a loose sleeveless cloak or mantle
called "Bisht" or "Abayah".
Men of all classes wear sandals on most occasions.
Popular
Arts
The UAE in general and Ras Al Khaimah in
particular is well known for its folklore, folk
music, folk dance and other traditional and popular
art forms which embody and reflect the social, ethical
and aesthetic values of the community. Traditional
dances for example are meaningful movements played
rhythmically to symbolize the common ideas and likes
of a certain community.
Al
Wahabiyyah
It is one of the oldest art forms of Ras
Al Khaimah and is performed only here. The songs
during this performance are divided into three sections.
Drum players stand between two rows of performers
comprising the band. One of the performers begins
by reciting a line of poetry. He repeats it a number
of times until the other performers have memorized
it. Then he recites another line of poetry from
the same poem. The first line is a start and the
second is the astinato or pedal. The two rows of
dancers rhythmically move forward and backward,
a row bows and drummers keep drawing nearer to it
for 10 minutes while moving their heads. The opposite
row repeats the some movements as the drummers draw
nearer to them as well. Dancers with swords and
guns add charm to the show. This folkdance is usually
performed on special occasions, feast days and at
wedding parties.
National
Food
The UAE kitchen is known for its delicious
dishes and recipes passed from one generation to
another. The following are some the most popular
dishes and recipes in the UAE.
National
Food
The UAE kitchen is known for its delicious dishes
and recipes passed from one generation to another.
The following are some the most popular dishes and
recipes in the UAE.
Khammer
(Leavened) Bread
It is made of a flour paste mixed with water and
dates. The mixture is left for a whole night. In
the morning it is cut into round pieces. They are
then spread into loaves and baked one by one on
a "Tabi" which is either a pot or a frying
pan made of iron. A mixture of water and eggs is
put on each loaf to improve the flavour.
Regag
(Wafer-thin) Bread
It is the most common sort of bread in
the United Arab Emirates. A fairly soft paste is
manually cut into pieces and spread into a frying
pan or pot (Tabi). It is left on fire until the
bread gets dry. The loaf is taken out of the Tabi
with an iron or copper handle called Mehmas. Regag
bread is usually eaten with butter and sugar. It
can also be made into porridge or gruel.
Chabab Bread
It is made of a fine paste that can
be scooped with a can and poured on a "Tabi"
placed on a light fire. The paste should be spread
before it gets dry. It should be turned upside down
to get it evenly dried. Butter and sugar are put
on the loaf to improve the flavour.
Al Harees
It is a very popular dish that undergoes
a complicated process of preparation. It is costly
as well. Al Harees is usually associated with wedding
parties, special occasions and along with special
meals during the Holy month of Ramadan. Al Harees
is made up of ground wheat and meat. In the past,
people used to sing a folksong called Allayah while
grinding flour for the dish. Meat should first be
washed and then mixed with ground wheat, boiling
water and some salt. The mixture is kept boiling
on fire until it is well cooked. Then it is poured
into a special pot with a small neck called Berma
and is placed into a hole for about six hours. The
pot is then taken out and the mixture is stirred
again. Finally some butter is added to the dish
before it is served.
| Ras
Al Khaimah Heritage
The
Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah has an impressive
archaeological heritage and a very rich
history. This area had always enticed
settlers with its unique combination of
all the four types of landscapes found
in different parts of the United Arab Emirates:
the fertile plains, the mountainous region,
coastal areas and the desert environment.
The interaction of these geographical
factors and the living style of people
have shaped up the very special heritage
of the Emirate.
Archaeological excavations and finds have
proved that the history of Ras Al Khaimah
dates back to the very immemorial past.
It reveals that an advanced civilization
that carried on trade existed in this
region since 5'000 BC.
Ubaid Period (5'500 - 3'800 BC
| This is the oldest era known so far in the history
of Ras Al Khaimah. Not far from
Al Jazeerah Al Hamra, huge ruins
of structures and external roofs
have been discovered. These ruins
are indicative of the early human
activities in this area. Moreover
some pottery remains, beads, nets
and stone implements were also
found from the same area. They
are a good evidence of the early
existence of the Bedouin desert
inhabitants who used to live on
the coast in the winter. The pottery
remains resembled pottery and
earthenware pots found in Mesopotamia in the same
period. This is living proof of
direct trade relations between
both areas. In the area of Khatt,
excavators have also discovered
historical sites that contained
granite implements which belonged
to the same era. |
 |
Haffet
Period (3'200 - 2'600 BC)
This era was known for its ruins of graves
and burial grounds which were built on
high
mountains. They were made of local stone
and shaped like beehives. Each grave consisted
of one or two small rooms. These were
discovered in the areas of Khatt, Wadi
al-Bih as well as in Wadi al-Qarw.
Umm
al-Nar Civilization (2'600 - 2'000 BC)
The Umm al- Nar Civilization
existed in the middle of the third millennium
BC. It was arguably the most important
period in the development of a civilization
in the UAE. Evidence suggests that trade
between Mesopotamia and the Valley of Inds (south-east
of Iran)
flourished during the period. These areas
together provided a vast and extended
network for distant trade especially in
high quality pottery which they were famous
for.
The
period is well known for its round graves
whose external walls were built of smooth
engraved and polished stones. A grave
was divided into rooms to be used for
massive burial, in other words they were
used for burying generations of dead people.
Archaeologists were able to discover the
remains of more than one hundred bodies
in these graves. The largest grave was
found in the Shamal area. One of these
graves had a 14.5 meter diameter. A stone
on its front had the drawing of a human
foot engraved on it. In 1988, another
grave was discovered in the Menaie Valley in
the northern area of Ras Al Khaimah. Another
grave was discovered in Aasama, where
significant collections of bronze implements
were also found. Among them were arrowheads
and daggers.
Wadi
Suq Culture Period (2'000 - 1'600 BC)
The most remarkable archaeological finds
of this era are the 15 huge graves in
the area of Shamal, comprising the biggest
cemetery in the prehistoric era. More
graves were also discovered in Ghaleelah,
Al Qirm, Al Rams, Qarn Al Harf, Khatt
and Athan in 1976. Their excavation work
and investigations were carried out during
1985-1990. Most of the Wadi Suq graves
were huge and were built above the ground.
Their foundations were built of limestone.
Each grave was the burial place of 30
to 60 bodies. The personal belongings
and remnants found in these graves
are at present on display in the Ras Al
Khaimah National Museum. They include
painted cups, cans and indented stone
pans, pots with lids, personal jewels
(namely beads), metal tools and arms.
Late
Bronze Age (1'600 - 1'250 BC)
The second half of the second millennium
BC, the late Bronze Age, is known from
a settlement in the Shamal area, which
has been partly excavated by a German
Mission of the University of Goettingen.
Built at the foot of the rising mountains,
it showed traces of 'arish' style housing,
typical of the United Arab Emirates
until as recently as 50 years ago. Large
amount of shells and fish bones discovered
from the area indicate that the people
relied on the Creek, which was probably
not far away. Dates and animal bones discovered
from the area suggest that farming was
also common during the period.
Iron
Age (1'200 - 300 BC)
The Iron Age here is best known from finds
from the southern part of Ras Al Khaimah
where a number of graves were discovered.
Some of them were oblong with four rooms,
others were shaped like a horseshoe and
some others were circular in shape. Archaeologists
have discovered painted pans and large
number of stone engraved decorated pots
made of chlorite from them. One of the
most significant discoveries was a stone
with the drawing of a phoenix engraved
on it. The drawing of this imaginary bird
resembled those painted in Assyrian palaces
in Northern Iraq. In Northern
Ras Al Khaimah there are two settlements
shaped like hillocks. The settlement in
Khatt was discovered in 1968. The other
is in Shamal. Both settlements represent
life in the northern region in the Iron
Age.
The
Hellenic and Parthian Era (300 BC -300
AD)
The later pre-Islamic time, the Hellenic
and Parthian Period, is also evident in
the northern parts. Survey projects launched
by the Antiquities and Museums Department
have led to the discovery of some historical
sites in the northern and southern districts
of Ras Al Khaimah. These sites include
individual tombs and reused old graves
found in Shamal, Asimah and in Wa'ab /
Wadi Muna'i.
The
Sasanian Occupation Era (300 AD - 632
AD)
The Sasanian occupation of Ras Al Khaimah
is now becoming increasingly evident.
A team of archaeologists have founded
a small site on the island of Hulaylah
that was occupied during the Sasanian
Period. Recently two other sites were
found in Khatt. The most significant discovery
of this era during the three-phase exploration
campaign was a Sasanian citadel. It was
built mainly to have full control over
the fertile plains in the north of Ras
Al Khaimah. This monument was evacuated
when Islam was adopted in the UAE area.
For the early as well as for the later
Islamic Periods, Ras Al Khaimah is the
most important Emirate regarding the archeological
heritage. The early centuries of Islam
are well presented in Kush and at the island of Hulaylah.
The
Abbasids Era (750 - 1'250 AD)
This period of history featured the great
unified Islamic Empire and the huge expansion
of trade with East
Asia. This era was embodied
in small areas in the Arabian
Gulf. The presence of two
of these areas in Ras Al Khaimah helped
it to play a great role as a bustling
trade route in the early Islamic Era.
One of these places was Al Khoush which
was a castle abandoned by the Sassans
during the Islamic expansion in this area.
It was reoccupied by people who lived
in it for the next seven centuries. The
second place is situated in the Island
of Hulaylah. It was a structure made of
palm leaves. Its ruins are few and vague,
however they are considered to be of great
historical importance.
Both
the sites were known as a part of Julfar,
which was an old town well known to Muslim
travellers and geographers. Some Abbasid
pottery and Chinese porcelain pots imported
from Iraq
and elsewhere were found in these two areas.
The antiquities show us how far people of
Julfar were deeply interested and involved
in trade at that time The
Later Islamic Era (14th - 19th century)
In the middle of the fourteenth
century, Kush and the Island of Hulaylah
were deserted. People began to settle
on sandy beaches near the coast. This
area was called Julfar. It was discovered
by the famous archaeologist Piatris in
1968. Many archaeological expeditions
were delegated to the area by France Britain
Japan and Germany. They all showed that
Julfar was a vast populated area from
the fourteenth up to the seventeenth century.
The town was built of baked mud bricks
and protected by a mud wall, 2.5 meters
thick and 4 meters high. It was a main
center of trade in the lower part of the
Arabian Gulf. Julfar was famous for its
vast and flourishing trade with distant
areas. The finds of porcelain and pottery
from here were imported from Arab and
European countries. It was the hometown
of the famous Arab navigator, Ahmad Ibn
Majid who was called "The Lion of Seas".
Julfar was famous for its quality pottery
made in Shamal and the Valleyof Haqeel
which were among the main centers for
making and distributing pottery pots throughout
the Gulf countries. The pottery industry
prevailed for more than 500 years. The
last abandoned pottery oven was in the
Valley Haqeel 30 years ago.
The
recent History (19th - 20th century)
Even the more Recent History (19th &
20th Century) is well presented in the
National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah. In
the recent years the Department of Antiquities
and Museums has conducted several surveys
to collect the data about traditional
buildings. 75 standing towers built of
mud-brick or stone and mortar were registered
during a survey. Recently, a survey concerning
the existence of old mosques located more
than 20 sites, which were older than 30
years. They have been recorded, planned
and photographed by a Belgian team and
reflect the unique and important architectural
tradition of religious buildings in the
United Arab Emirates in general and the
Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in particular.
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