French female visitors have gathered at a special section in Sharjah’s pavilion at the Paris Book Fair. In the same corner, Emirati women wearing their traditional gowns took seats to draw henna dye on the French ladies’ hands, providing them with the traditional Emirati outfits, such as battoulah, and briefing them on the nation’s cultural arts of Talli, Safeefa and colored embroidery.
Each day, visitors at the fair watched Emirati women and their traditional skills in weaving Talli threads, one of the most significant arts in UAE’s heritage. Audiences were also engaged on traditional stories on how some of these garments were produced and created to support UAE women’s husbands during their tough journey in fishing, pearl diving and trade.
The special section also hosted three Emirati women who didn’t only bring crafts and fashion arts, but also transferred the traditional Emirati house, with its arts, foods, and beverages. They sat on traditionally designed wool carpets serving Luqaimat and Jabab along with Arabic coffee, to introduce the French community on a unique lifestyle experience of the UAE and its heritage.
