His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, launched the Portuguese edition of his historical work "The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman: Annals of History 1497 CE- 1757 CE" during a ceremony held on Friday at the Lisbon Academy of Sciences. The event was attended by Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), alongside senior officials, academics, cultural figures and media representatives.
His Highness then signed the first Portuguese copies of The Portuguese in the Indian Ocean: Annals of History 1507 CE -1748 CE, presenting them as gifts to the Lisbon Academy of Sciences and its officials. He also received several commemorative gifts from the Academy.
Professor José Francisco Rodrigues, President of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, delivered a speech welcoming the Ruler of Sharjah and the accompanying delegation. He referred to His Highness’s relationship with the Academy and his visit in 2013, when he obtained membership of the Academy in the field of humanities. He outlined the reasons for granting His Highness membership, citing his dedication and contribution to highlighting and valuing the historical landmarks left by Portugal in the Arabian Peninsula and Persia.
His Highness, along with attendees, watched a film presentation on the book, published by Al Qasimi Publications, which highlighted the facts and documents it contains, as well as its academic and historical importance. The work enables researchers to examine historical events in the region during the Portuguese period and provides opportunities for further study of the included documents. The book is arranged chronologically, with each volume documenting events from a single year, organised as annals. Each volume includes a research index at the end and detailed footnotes for the documents. The historical achievement presents letters and documents, as well as complete books and rare works by Portuguese authors published for the first time.
Following the ceremony, His Highness reviewed a collection of rare Arabic manuscripts owned by the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, directing that the 90 Arabic manuscripts be restored and displayed in a dedicated space at the Academy after restoration. The rare Arabic manuscripts cover a wide range of fields, including copies of The Holy Quran, Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik (711–795), books on geography and meteorology, and collections of Arabic proverbs and wisdom.
His Highness had previously initiated the digitisation of all manuscripts held by the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, stemming from his cultural vision and his belief in the importance of preserving Arab cultural heritage, which forms Arab identity and preserves within its records sciences, knowledge, literature, and the contributions of Arab scholars to culture over the past centuries.
Please click here to read His Highness' statement on this occasion.