21 January. Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Sharjah, the ATHAR course concluded on 14 January 2010 at the American University of Sharjah.

This two-week course aimed at enhancing applied knowledge of architectural records, inventories and information systems for conservation in the Arab region. It also provided a basic understanding of how to create and manage documentation and make informed decisions that ensure the protection of heritage sites. The course consisted of interactive, theoretical and practical sessions. Study visits and applied exercises at the site of Ed-Dur in Umm Al Qawain, complemented the work carried out in the classroom.

The course sought to introduce:

• concepts of documentation and information gathering, recording and heritage information management;
• activities, methodologies and tools for recording, documentation, inventories and information management;
• topographic, GPS, photogrammetric, and 3D laser scanning techniques, and archival research (historic, archaeological, structural, condition);
• principles, design and management of records in data base systems (GIS) and methods for processing.

H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of UAE and Ruler of Sharjah presented the certificates to participants at a closing ceremony at the American University of Sharjah, following presentations made by Dr Zaki Aslan (ATHAR Programme Manager) and the local course coordinator, Dr Mufid Samarai.

The Course was carried out by ICCROM in partnership with the Government of Sharjah (Sharjah Department of Culture and Information), Sharjah Museums Department, the American University of Sharjah and the University of Sharjah, with the support of the Directorate General of Development Co-operation, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCS), and ATHAR Program Partners: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) and ALECSO (Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization).

Participants were site managers, archaeologists, architects, engineers and planners from 11 countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and United Arab Emirates. Resource people came from the following countries: Belgium, Egypt, France, Italy, Jordan and Spain.

Member States represented: Belgium, Egypt, France, Italy, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Syria, United Arab Emirates.

updated on: 13 May, 2010