Lisbon: H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, visited the Portuguese National Archives in Lisbon, accompanied by H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority.
According to Emirates News Agency, upon arrival, H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan was received by Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Mahmoud, the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Portuguese Republic; Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority; Mohamed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; Lus Filipe, Director General of the Portuguese National Archives; alongside other Emirati and Portuguese officials and media representatives. During his visit, the Ruler of Sharjah delivered a speech expressing his pleasure at visiting the archives and reminiscing about his past visit in 1982. He discussed his ongoing efforts in collecting significant Portuguese documents, which have led to the publication of his extensive works on the history of the region.
H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan owns thousands of important Portuguese documents, from which he published the book The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman - Annals of History (1497 CE - 1757 CE), consisting of 21 volumes. This was succeeded by The Compendium of the Histories of the Arabian Peninsula and Persia (1622 CE - 1810 CE), comprising 33 volumes. He announced his current work on The Portuguese in the Indian Ocean, a 25-volume series exploring the history of the Portuguese in India, East Africa, and several Asian countries.
The Ruler highlighted the value of Portuguese documents that recount a significant chapter in the region's history, explaining the details of the Portuguese withdrawal and the British and Persian cooperation in facilitating their departure. He emphasized the importance of documents and manuscripts in accurately documenting history, providing researchers with valuable resources for study and research.
Lus Filipe, Director General of the Portuguese National Archives, welcomed H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan, praising his cultural and historical contributions. He noted that the archives house documents of the Portuguese Republic while also sharing content with other countries and cultures through their collections.
During the visit, H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan presented the archives with his publication The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman - Annals of History (1497 CE - 1757 CE). In exchange, he received gifts from the archives, including original manuscripts and an atlas of maps.
H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan toured the archives, which were officially established in 1378 and relocated to the University of Lisbon campus in 1990. He explored the various departments, including those housing royal documents, colonial records, Inquisition documents, and a digital archive.
He received explanations of the archives' facilities, such as the research hall, manuscripts and rare books hall, electronic archive hall, restoration laboratories, exhibition halls, and the training and education center. H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan examined rare manuscripts, including papal letters and treaties, and reviewed the works of Portuguese poet Lus de Camµes, expressing interest in translating Camµes' poetry.