UAE Ramadan does not stop after iftar. In fact, it comes alive after the sun sets. Museums in the emirate of Abu Dhabi are turning into a gathering place this Ramadan in which culture, memory and community take the central stage.
Louvre Abu Dhabi To Al Ain Museum, UAE Cultural Spots, Host Ramadan Events
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Al Ain Museum are some of the places that have designed well-considered Ramadan programmes this year. They feel personal, reflective, and quietly celebratory with evenings that are not hurried but are to be lingered over.
Zayed National Museum Makes Ramadan Nights A Family Reunion
The new Zayed National Museum welcomes the season with Ramadan Nights, until the 20th day of the holy month. Between 8:30 pm and midnight, galleries remain open as the Al Masar Garden is filled with food pop-ups and chattering.
The programme is a combination of storytelling and practical learning. Grandfather Majlis is a recreation of a traditional meeting where a generation tells its stories to the other. Visits by younger visitors can be joined based on the museum’s Blue Quran that presents history without making it sound like a lesson.
Workshops based on Emirati artists include weaving, lantern-making, and even cooking. Conventional games unite families. The standout feature? Moon viewing/stargazing tours where visitors get to view through telescopes how astronomy used to trace the seasons and daily lives.
Al Ain Museum Recreates Heritage During The Evenings
Between February 20 and March 20, Layali Ramadan will take place in Al Ain Museum in front of Sultan Fort. It is the first museum in the UAE, and in Ramadan, it goes back to being a living cultural centre and not a museum warehouse.
Poetry Night is a festival of Nabati poetry, which is based on Bedouin life and storytelling. Performances of live oud and qanoon are heard. Craftsmen showcase classic works, and table games make strangers sit, chat, and have a short stay.
According to the organisers of the museum, the objective is straightforward: to mobilise heritage spaces by using live events. They have phone-tapped it, judging by the programme.
Devotional Music Centre Stage At The Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is hosting a devotional concert on 1 March 2017, at 930 pm, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation and the Moroccan Embassy. The performance also involves Noureddine Tahiri, whose work is based on Arabic-Andalusian and Moroccan devotionalism. Tahiri, with a programme inspired by poetry and faith, performs Quranic recitation and spiritual music with an ensemble, and is trained in both.
Also Read: Saadiyat Cultural Promenade Opens, Offering The Most Scenic Museum Walk In Abu Dhabi
The Importance Of Museums During Ramadan
Museums around Abu Dhabi streamline during Ramadan. They come later, slow down the rhythm, and call people to collectively listen and think. And honestly? It works.
Cover Image Courtesy: Visit Abu Dhabi/Website
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