House of Wisdom delegation visits Évora to expand cultural partnerships

ÉVORA, Portugal, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Jul, 2026) A delegation from the House of Wisdom (HoW) in Sharjah visited Évora, one of Portugal’s most historic cities, at the invitation of Maria do Céu Ramos, President of Évora European Capital of Culture 2027, as part of HoW’s efforts to strengthen its international presence and expand its network of cultural and knowledge partnerships with leading cultural institutions worldwide.

The visit builds on growing cultural cooperation following the visit of Alberto Fernando Santos, Portugal's Secretary of State for Culture, to HoW during Sharjah Heritage Days earlier this year, when he also toured several cultural institutions and landmarks across the emirate.

The HoW team met Maria do Céu Ramos and the Évora European Capital of Culture 2027 team to learn about the programme’s key cultural events and initiatives, and to discuss opportunities for cooperation, drawing on Sharjah’s experience as World Book Capital 2019 and exploring ways to strengthen cultural and knowledge partnerships between Sharjah and Évora.

Marwa Al Aqroubi, Executive Director of HoW, said, “We are pleased to join Évora in celebrating its designation as European Capital of Culture 2027, recognising the cultural and civilisational significance of this historic city, whose history spans more than two millennia. Over the ages, Évora has served as a crossroads of civilisations and successive cultures, from its Roman heritage and Andalusian Islamic influences to Portuguese culture, giving it a unique cultural richness and reinforcing its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”

She added, “We look forward to establishing an active partnership with Évora and exploring broad prospects for cooperation and exchange of expertise in culture, knowledge and heritage preservation, in line with Sharjah’s leading experience in employing culture as a driver of development and civilisational dialogue.

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For her part, Ramos said the visit provided a valuable opportunity to exchange views on the responsibilities and opportunities associated with major cultural initiatives, as well as to explore areas of common interest between the two institutions.

She added that, as preparations continue for 2027, Évora looks forward to building on the relations established during the visit and developing initiatives inspired by the cultural and historical ties between the two regions, helping strengthen cultural diplomacy and build bridges between institutions and communities.

The visit included tours of several key cultural and heritage landmarks in Évora, including the Évora Public Library, founded in 1805 and considered Portugal’s first public library. The HoW delegation explored its rare collections, including manuscripts, historical documents, drawings of Portuguese castles, including those built in Kalba and Khorfakkan, as well as valuable collections of printed books, maps, periodicals and historical records documenting the development of European knowledge over the centuries.

Cultural relations between Sharjah and Portugal have witnessed several important milestones in recent years, including the inauguration by H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, of the Centre for Arabic Studies at the University of Coimbra, the launch of the Joanina Digital Library in cooperation with the university, and His Highness’s scholarly contributions to documenting the history of the Portuguese presence in the region and Arab-Portuguese relations.