Sharjah24: The legacy of the Portuguese in early overseas exploration is legendary, with explorers like Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan and Duarte Barbosa making the arduous journey on open seas from the Atlantic coast to exotic locales in the Indian Ocean. That the Gulf region was an important trading halt on these voyages to India and eastern Asia is not widely known, and the 42nd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair which opened at Expo Centre Sharjah on November 1 seeks to rectify this gap in information with an exquisite exhibition detailing the Portuguese presence in the Gulf and relations between the two regions during the 15th and 16th centuries.

The exhibition, titled “The Portuguese in the Gulf, 1507-1650: An Interlinked History”, was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has edited one of the books on display – “A Momentous Journey: The Complete Manuscript of the ‘Book of Duarte Barbosa’ 1565”. 

The curated exhibits, reproductions as well as original, include manuscripts, maps, engravings, and nautical instruments such as a mariner’s compass and astrolabe. Each exhibit is numbered and accompanied by a precise explanation. 

The exhibition is an initiative that stems from the institutional relations between the University of Coimbra in Portugal and the emirate of Sharjah with academic support from the university’s Centre for History of Society and Culture.

Commenting on the generosity and vision of the Ruler of Sharjah, Prof. Delfim Leao from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Coimbra noted: “It is an honour for us to be here at the Sharjah International Book Fair that is held under the patronage  of  His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has nurtured his connection with our university.  We have long-lasting connections with the Gulf, and this exhibition helps to go in depth into the ties which have existed for the past 500 years. Most of the books have come from our university, the oldest university in Portugal established around 700 years ago. This exhibition is a premier, and we hope to have one in Portugal soon.”

The exhibition, which will run until November 12, is divided into six sections giving viewers a rare glimpse of the voyages and navigation, with cartographic images that aesthetically capture the region’s pristine beauty and wealth.