Wikimedia Photo-walk to Al Dhaid

Introduction

On 5th March 2023, a photo-walk was organized by the Wikimedia community to explore the Al Dhaid farming village and discover its rich cultural heritage. The participants, including Wikimedians from the UAE, Akbarali, Saji Sahadevan, and Alexis, Aravind were joined by artists and staff members from the Sharjah Art Foundation.

Trip Details

The trip started from the heart of Sharjah, where the participants boarded a bus and stopped near Al Dhaid for refreshments. The first visit was to the Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Palace, an old palace in Sharjah that dates back to the 1950s. The palace was built by Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi, and completed by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi in the 1960s. The palace houses several artworks that were displayed in the current edition of the Sharjah Biennial 2023. After visiting the palace, the group moved to a farm near the fort, where they learned about the farming practices and interacted with the locals. The final destination was the Old Al Dhaid Clinic, where the guide briefed the participants on the artworks displayed within the current edition of the Sharjah Biennial 2023.

Objectives

• The primary objective of the photo-walk was to discover the cultural heritage of Al Dhaid and document it on Wikimedia platforms.
• The participants aimed to capture photographs of Important places and its traditions,and upload them to Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata.
• To Find out people who are interested in Wikimedia activities.
• To promote cultural exchange between the participants and the locals, and to foster collaboration between the Wikimedia community and the Sharjah Art Foundation.

Outcomes

• The photo-walk was a success, with 19 enthusiastic participants ( among this 6 members were gents and rest of them were females) participated
• Introduce Wikimedia Commons and under standard the importance of contributing the cultural heritage of Al Dhaid to it.

The photographs captured during the trip were of high quality and provided a unique perspective on the village and art work.

• The project helped promote cultural exchange between the participants and the locals.

Conclusion

The Wikimedia photo-walk to Al Dhaid was a successful project that documented the cultural heritage of the farming village and promoted cultural exchange between the participants and the locals. The project was a unique opportunity for wikimedians and helped raise awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage. The project's outcome will benefit future generations by providing a rich resource of information on Al Dhaid's history and traditions.