<p>On a blistering summer morning, I have the Mohammed bin Salem Mosque in the old town of Ras Al Khaimah all to myself. I have been to Ras Al Khaimah or RAK, as it’s commonly known, several times before. But those visits have always been to explore its wild side: its long coastline or craggy mountains. I am here to delve into its lesser-known history and heritage this time.</p>.<p>A single-storey structure, the mosque stands at the water’s edge with the infinite ocean stretching ahead. Records show that a mosque has stood here from the 16th century, destroyed and rebuilt several times. Corals, rocks from the ocean and date palm wood feature heavily in its construction. </p>.<p><strong>A cultural intermingling </strong></p>.<p>A stone’s throw away from the serene mosque, RAK’s fish market is abuzz with activity. Malayali and Arabic words mingle just as the smell of the sea does with the heady Oud perfume worn by the locals shopping for fresh catch.</p>.<p>Life here has always been about the intermingling of cultures and languages. Records show that the northernmost Emirate of the UAE has been continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years. Its location at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz giving access to the Arabian Gulf, has been its trump card. Sought after by the Portuguese and the British as a vital maritime port, RAK witnessed clashes between local tribes and invaders.</p>.<p>The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah housed in a 200-year-old fortress harks back to this period of RAK’s history. Local guide, Hasina Muhammad, tells me that the building was attacked by the Portuguese in 1621 and by British forces in 1820. The current structure served as the residence of the ruling Quwasim family until 1964 and was converted into a museum in 1987.</p>.<p>Of the many rooms in the museum, the one that stood out for me was the madbasa – a room dedicated to making date syrup. I learn that dates were piled together and left for anywhere between 40 days and six months in the dark. The dates eventually melted and the sticky liquid which dripped down was collected in a jar. The museum is filled with artefacts chronicling the different periods of RAK’s long history. Muhammad points to a jar found by a lady on her walk by the beach. Nearby hangs a board asking people to bring in objects that they find.</p>.<p><strong>Pearling villages</strong></p>.<p>My next stop is the House Pearls by Suwaidi Pearls in the village of Al Rams. A wooden dhow brings me to a floating pontoon in a lagoon circled by mangroves. Started by Abdulla Rashed Al Suwaidi hailing from a family of pearl divers, the farm introduces visitors to the nuances of pearl diving. Before the discovery of oil, fishing and pearling were the primary occupations of those who lived along the coast. Julfar, as RAK was once called, was known to produce the highest quality of pearls in the world, finding takers from India, China and Europe. With the advent of commercial pearls, traditional pearling almost slipped into oblivion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At the once derelict Jazirat al-Hamra or Al Jazeera Al Hamra pearling village, I walk around what was once a wealthy and thriving settlement of pearl divers and merchants. The Zaab tribe who lived here owned a fleet of 25 pearling boats.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When the pearling industry began to decline, the village lay abandoned for several years. Now on the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Tentative List, its buildings made with coral, fossilised beach rocks, date palm wood and trunks of mangrove trees have been partially restored. The village is an example of Middle Eastern town planning, with a fortress, a souq, mosques, small homes and larger ones with a courtyard.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Living in harsh terrain with a gruelling climate meant that those who lived in these parts had to be ingenious. In the piercing afternoon sun, I follow my guide Nawfal Saeed up 239 steps to the top of the Dhayah Fort. Built on a 70-metre high hill, the fort is the last remaining hill fort in the UAE. Surrounded by date palm farms and flanked by the Jebel Jais mountains, it stayed shielded from British artillery because of its inland position, Saeed tells me. It was only when the British changed tactics, and entered through the lagoons that they could capture it. As the sun melts into the horizon and the sky turns liquid gold, I marvel at those who have lived here, rising to the challenges that came over centuries.</p>
<p>On a blistering summer morning, I have the Mohammed bin Salem Mosque in the old town of Ras Al Khaimah all to myself. I have been to Ras Al Khaimah or RAK, as it’s commonly known, several times before. But those visits have always been to explore its wild side: its long coastline or craggy mountains. I am here to delve into its lesser-known history and heritage this time.</p>.<p>A single-storey structure, the mosque stands at the water’s edge with the infinite ocean stretching ahead. Records show that a mosque has stood here from the 16th century, destroyed and rebuilt several times. Corals, rocks from the ocean and date palm wood feature heavily in its construction. </p>.<p><strong>A cultural intermingling </strong></p>.<p>A stone’s throw away from the serene mosque, RAK’s fish market is abuzz with activity. Malayali and Arabic words mingle just as the smell of the sea does with the heady Oud perfume worn by the locals shopping for fresh catch.</p>.<p>Life here has always been about the intermingling of cultures and languages. Records show that the northernmost Emirate of the UAE has been continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years. Its location at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz giving access to the Arabian Gulf, has been its trump card. Sought after by the Portuguese and the British as a vital maritime port, RAK witnessed clashes between local tribes and invaders.</p>.<p>The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah housed in a 200-year-old fortress harks back to this period of RAK’s history. Local guide, Hasina Muhammad, tells me that the building was attacked by the Portuguese in 1621 and by British forces in 1820. The current structure served as the residence of the ruling Quwasim family until 1964 and was converted into a museum in 1987.</p>.<p>Of the many rooms in the museum, the one that stood out for me was the madbasa – a room dedicated to making date syrup. I learn that dates were piled together and left for anywhere between 40 days and six months in the dark. The dates eventually melted and the sticky liquid which dripped down was collected in a jar. The museum is filled with artefacts chronicling the different periods of RAK’s long history. Muhammad points to a jar found by a lady on her walk by the beach. Nearby hangs a board asking people to bring in objects that they find.</p>.<p><strong>Pearling villages</strong></p>.<p>My next stop is the House Pearls by Suwaidi Pearls in the village of Al Rams. A wooden dhow brings me to a floating pontoon in a lagoon circled by mangroves. Started by Abdulla Rashed Al Suwaidi hailing from a family of pearl divers, the farm introduces visitors to the nuances of pearl diving. Before the discovery of oil, fishing and pearling were the primary occupations of those who lived along the coast. Julfar, as RAK was once called, was known to produce the highest quality of pearls in the world, finding takers from India, China and Europe. With the advent of commercial pearls, traditional pearling almost slipped into oblivion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At the once derelict Jazirat al-Hamra or Al Jazeera Al Hamra pearling village, I walk around what was once a wealthy and thriving settlement of pearl divers and merchants. The Zaab tribe who lived here owned a fleet of 25 pearling boats.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When the pearling industry began to decline, the village lay abandoned for several years. Now on the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Tentative List, its buildings made with coral, fossilised beach rocks, date palm wood and trunks of mangrove trees have been partially restored. The village is an example of Middle Eastern town planning, with a fortress, a souq, mosques, small homes and larger ones with a courtyard.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Living in harsh terrain with a gruelling climate meant that those who lived in these parts had to be ingenious. In the piercing afternoon sun, I follow my guide Nawfal Saeed up 239 steps to the top of the Dhayah Fort. Built on a 70-metre high hill, the fort is the last remaining hill fort in the UAE. Surrounded by date palm farms and flanked by the Jebel Jais mountains, it stayed shielded from British artillery because of its inland position, Saeed tells me. It was only when the British changed tactics, and entered through the lagoons that they could capture it. As the sun melts into the horizon and the sky turns liquid gold, I marvel at those who have lived here, rising to the challenges that came over centuries.</p>