Sharjah Light Festival to be held on February 7-15

The Sharjah Light Festival 2013, to be held from February 7 to 15, promises to be even more dazzling and spectacular than ever before with several new shows being added to the calendar and internationally acclaimed artists and latest technology coming together to create a truly memorable experience at 14 locations across the emirate.   

Mohamed Ali Al Noman, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, said that the Festival of Lights is one of the most prestigious events of the emirate.  Many new artists and professionals have been roped in employing latest advances in technology to add several new, exciting shows to the Festival this year, using the facade of famous landmarks and monuments will bring out the aesthetic beauty of Sharjah’s architectural marvels, tourist attractions and art and culture, he added.

The SLF 2013, being hosted for the third year by the SCTDA, will take the experience of blending modern technology of lights and colours with the ancient art of storytelling to a whole new level turning the spotlight on Sharjah’s grand monuments and landmarks.

Al Noman said: “Through the Sharjah Light Festival that has been inspired by the unique heritage and grandeur of the ‘emirate of monuments’ which is Sharjah, we are seeking to highlight our civilization, culture and rich diversity of our tourism.  This tells the world the story of an emirate that is today recognised as the home of art and culture and which has earned itself a distinct place on the world tourism map. The latest feather in the emirate’s cap is the recognition as the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2015.”

For the first time, two cities on the emirate’s East Coast, Kalba and Khorfakkan, have been added to the SLF map. The historical Omar bin Al Khattab mosque in Khorfakkan and Sharjah University Campus in Kalba are the new SLF sites and will undergo a transformation every night during the festival.

Al Noman said that the Sharjah Light Festival, the first of its kind in the Middle East, complements and enhances the emirate’s tourism profile, illuminating its aesthetic beauty, literature, art and culture and helping the tourism sector attract tens of thousands of tourists from across the region and the world. “We recognise the importance of tourism and its role in cultural development and in presenting the story of our civilization and history before a diverse world.  On the other hand, our culture and heritage play a crucial role in our tourism strategy and have helped us position ourselves prominently in the global tourism market,” he added.

Al Noman said that the SLF 2013 has a host of surprises and attractions in store for everyone.  “The Sharjah Light Festival this year will come to you from 14 locations across the emirate, illuminating 14 of the most important monuments and landmarks in the emirate for nine nights. Drawing on our history, culture and heritage and marrying the latest 3-dimensional technology and art, our international artists will take the audience to a fantasy world recreating the magic of our ancestors’ history and seafaring traditions.”

The grandeur of Sharjah’s architectural heritage will be celebrated like never seen before with shows and features created especially for its architectural marvels, landmarks and tourist attractions, said Al Noman.  For nine nights, Sharjah will be in the spotlight with its 14 landmarks and monuments glittering like jewels from 7pm to 11 on week days and until 12am during the weekend.

He expressed his happiness that that some of the Sharjah Light Festival shows, especially crafted for Sharjah buildings and monuments, were recently presented before an international audience at in a video on Sharjah Light Festival in the Russian capital Moscow, and at an exhibition in Lyon.

The 14 SLF locations this year include Al Qasba (External Façade), Al Qasba (Internal Façade), Sharjah Hisn (Fort), Al Majaz Waterfront, Masjid Al Noor, Cultural Palace Square (Quran Roundabout), Masjid Al Majaz, Khalid Lagoon, House of Justice (Court Complex), Central Souk, Consultative Council and Kuwait Square, Sharjah International Airport, Masjid Omar Bin Al Khattab in Khorfakkan and Sharjah University in Kalba.  Show timings are 7.00pm to 11pm on week days and until 12.00 midnight during the weekend.

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