SQCC

Embassy Adoption Program with Seaton Elementary School First Visit
2021-11-10
SQCC welcomed students from Seaton Elementary School on 10 November. Seaton is SQCC’s 2021-22 partner for the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP). EAP is a special collaboration between Washington Performing Arts and D.C. Public Schools.
The fifth grade students toured the permanent exhibition, learning about the Aflaj irrigation system, forts, silversmithing, as well as viewing displays of traditional dress from various regions across the Sultanate of Oman. Students also received name tags with their names, grade level and name of their school in Arabic.
Following the tour of the exhibit, students attended a lecture on Omani culture, people and history. The students were eager to learn about the animals of Oman, and asked many questions about Omani food, culture, the Arabic language, as well as the geography and climate of Oman.
At the end of the program, students were invited to write about what they learned during the visit on post-it notes, which students proudly displayed by placing them on a white-board. Some of these words included desert, ship-building, wild animals, silver jewelries, khanjar as a decorative outfit for men, Omani national dress for men and women, forts, and Omani culture and history, as well as Omani’s seafaring and trading.

Poetry &Prose: Female Poets in Classical Arabic Literature
2021-11-04 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
RSVP Using this link: https://conta.cc/3jA8rBY
Join us as we welcome Dr. Wessam Elmeligi, Director of the Comparative Literature Certificate and Director of the Arabic Translation Certificate at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, to discuss the significance of female poets in classical Arabic literature, dating from the 6th century to the 14th century.

Dr. Elmeligi’s discussion will focus on the misconceptions of female poets within Arab culture, in comparison to female poets of other cultures during the 6th to 14th centuries. The presentation will highlight how previous translations of Arabic poetry by women were often in agreement with orientalist misrepresentations of Arabic culture. These previous translations thus solidified the stereotyping and othering of Arab women at the time. To conclude the presentation, Dr. Elmeligi will introduce selected poems with a brief background for contextualization, followed by a reading of these poems in the original Arabic and translated English. Information included in the presentation will largely draw from the speaker’s book entitled The Poetry of Arab Women from the Pre-Islamic Age to Andalusia (Routledge, 2019).

Dr. Wessam Elmeligi is Director of the Comparative Literature Certificate, and Director of the Arabic Translation Certificate at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. His first book, The Poetry of Arab Women from the Pre-Islamic Age to Andalusia (2019), collects, translates, and studies over 400 poems by 200 Classical and Medieval Arab female poets, many of which have never been studied in English before. His second book, Cultural Identity in Arabic Novels of Immigration: A Poetics of Return (2020) studied migration and identity in Arabic novels, spanning as early as the 12th century Hayy ibn Yaqzan to Manal Al-Tahawy’s 2010 Brooklyn Heights, including seminal works and novels from Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, and Yemen. Previously, Dr. Elmeligi published articles on narratology, science fiction, mythology, cinema, and writers such as Naguib Mahfouz, Sonalla Ibrahim, and Radwa Ashour. Dr. Elmeligi holds a Ph.D in literary theory; he is also a graphic novelist and artist.

Ibn Hamids the Sicilian: Reflections on Lost Youth and an Usurped Homeland
2021-09-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom
RSVP by using this link: https://conta.cc/3kSmIcX

In this SQCC Poetry and Prose event Dr. William Granara will present one of ‘Abd al-Jabbar Ibn Hamids’ poems from his voluminous poetry collection (Diwan). The poem (qasid: ode), is untitled but catalogued as #110, and comprises thirty-seven lines. It is regarded as perhaps the best known of his Siqilliyat, that is, poems primarily dedicated to his beloved homeland of Sicily. The poem is divided into three parts: a brief gnomic introduction bemoaning the twists of fate and loss of youth, a recollection or fantasy of a care-free youth of pleasures in a paradisiacal Sicily, and finally the loss of both his youth and his homeland.

Dr. William Granara is Gordon Gray Professor of Arabic in the Departments of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures and Comparative Literature at Harvard University, where he currently serves as director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. He is also founding director of Harvard’s Summer School program, Postcolonial Encounters: France and the Arab World, in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Professor Granara specializes in the history and cultures of the Muslim Mediterranean. He writes on cross-cultural encounters between Islam and Christendom throughout the Middle Ages. He is author of Narrating Muslim Sicily: War and Peace in the Medieval Mediterranean World, I.B. Tauris, was published in June 2019. His second monograph, Ibn Hamdis the Sicilian, was published by One World Press’s Makers of the Muslim World in 2021. He is also co-editor of The Thousand and One Nights: Sources and Transformations in Literature, Art and Science, Brill (2019).

In addition, he writes on contemporary Arabic literature and has published translations of several Egyptian and North African novels. His more recent publications include: “Nostalgia, Arab Nationalism and the Andalusian Chronotope in the Evolution of the Modern Arabic Novel” (2005); “Nile Crossings: Hospitality and Revenge in Egyptian Rural Narratives” (2010), “The Historical Poetics of Jurji Zaidan’s Andalusian Fictional Cosmos” (2013), and “Contesting the Mediterranean in Colonial North African Literature” (2019).

RSVP by using this link: https://conta.cc/3kSmIcX

EXHIBITION: OMANI CULTURE THROUGH CRAFTSMANSHIP
2021-08-20 | Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, 1100 16th St. NW., Washington, DC, 20036
Dates: July 1- August 20

Viewing Hours:
Mon-Fri: 10:30 am- 4:00 pm

Location:
Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center
1100 16th Street NW, Washington, DC

FACE MASK REQUIRED

The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center will be exhibiting works from the National Museum of Oman.

The National Museum of Oman’s extensive photography collection holds some of the most important photographs depicting the history, culture, and creative elements of the people of the Sultanate of Oman. This valuable collection holds some of the leading archival photographic documentations by renowned Omani photographers, as well as by individuals of various backgrounds, from scientists, medical professionals, and foreign officials who have lived in Oman.

The photographs on display tell various interconnected stories, which reflect the culture of Oman and its people as stemming from its land and nature. We invite the visitors to join for a glimpse into the National Museum’s contemporary photography collection, including snapshots from within the galleries of the National Museum.

Photographers:
Mr. Ahmad Altoqi, Professional Photographer
Mr. Saleh Al Ruzaiqi, National Museum Photography Specialist

SQCC Virtually Hosts a Group of Students from Foreign Service Institute (FSI) – United States Department of State
2021-07-07
On Wednesday 7 July, SQCC virtually hosted a group of students from Foreign Service Institute (FSI) – United States Department of State. The students were presented with an introduction to Oman through a comprehensive powerpoint, followed by a virtual tour of SQCC’s permanent exhibition space. On display in the permanent exhibition were traditional Omani dresses, handicrafts such as pottery, basketry, silver artwork and woodworking, as well as the aflaj irrigation system. The students also requested to see many pictures of Oman, which were showcased to them at the end of the presentation.

InterNations Group Visit
2021-06-30 08:00 - 17:00
SQCC hosted a group from InterNations on 30 June. The organization is the largest global expat network in the world with 4.2 million members in 420 cities worldwide. The group viewed the exhibition, “Omani Culture Through Craftsmanship,” which features photos from the National Museum of Oman collection. Participants then took part in a group discussion on the history and culture of the Sultanate.

SQCC Instagram Photo Contest 2021
2021-06-30 | Instagram
Click here for the Official Rules: Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center’s Instagram Photo Contest 2021 Rules

Open to amateur photographers in the US! Starting 1 March 2021
Show your best photograph from the Sultanate of Oman
1st Prize: $1000
2nd Prize: $500
3rd Prize: $300
How to enter?
1.Using your instagram account, post an original photo of the Sultanate of Oman’s biodiversity
2.In the description, describe your photo, including the location, AND add the hashtag: #SQCCPhotoContest
Last day to enter: 30 June 2021
Please read Official Rules before entering the contest. Winners will be announced on 14 July 2021 and sent a message via Instagram.

Make sure to follow @sqccdc to see the winning photos!

Please read official rules here:
Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center’s Instagram Photo Contest 2021 Rules

Poetry and Prose: The Aesthetics of Classical Arabic Poetry
2021-06-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom
Click here to register for the event: conta.cc/2RqIlq6

In her recent book, Arabic Poetics: Aesthetic Experience in Classical Arabic Literature, Lara Harb argues that the main aesthetic that underlay classical Arabic literary theory was one of wonder. In this lecture, Harb will explore this aesthetic of wonder through reading a selection of verses from classical Arabic poetry, highlighting how medieval theorists explained their beauty.

In her recent book, Arabic Poetics: Aesthetic Experience in Classical Arabic Literature, Lara Harb argues that the main aesthetic that underlay classical Arabic literary theory was one of wonder. In this lecture, Harb will explore this aesthetic of wonder through reading a selection of verses from classical Arabic poetry, highlighting how medieval theorists explained their beauty.

Embassy Adoption Program Capstone 2020-2021
2021-04-08
The SQCC and the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP) concluded the 2020-2021 academic year with Seaton Elementary School students virtually presenting their Capstone Project on 9 April. The presentation opened with the playing of the National Anthem of Oman. Students shared what they learned about Oman during the school year, in the form of skits, PowerPoint presentations, and poems. One group of students presented a skit about visiting Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, while another group of students performed a skit about the Aflaj irrigation systems. Other students presented on frankincense, beaches in Oman, and Omani traditional dishes. Students also presented artwork. The Capstone concluded with a trivia game on Oman. The virtual event was attended by Seaton Elementary School’s principal, representatives of the Embassy Adoption Program, and SQCC’s Executive Director.

SQCC Virtually visits Seaton Elementary School for the fourth and fifth sessions of the Embassy Adoption Program
2021-03-09 - 2021-03-26
The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center continued with its collaboration with a fifth grade class from Seaton Elementary School virtually as part of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP) on 9 March. Students learned about Omani frankincense, how it is harvested, burned and used in everyday Omani life and the other uses of frankincense. Students eagerly asked questions about majmars, and how frankincense grows in trees, and how trees are preserved. The students also watched an SQCC video about painting Omani majmars, or frankincense burners. The video highlighted the creative designs used in the Sultanate, which make them unique.
On 22 March students learned about climate change and its effect on Oman. Later this year, these students will use what they have learned to represent Oman at EAP’s Mini-UN event at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Poetry and Prose: Valentine Special - Love in its Purist Form: A Pathway to the Divine
2021-02-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom
Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center’s Poetry & Prose series was proud to host Associate Professor and the founding Director of Arabic Studies at DePaul University, Dr. Nesreen Akhtarkhavari on Thursday, 11 February 2021.
In Dr.Akhtarkhavari’s Love in its Purist Form: A Pathway to the Divine presentation, she examined “the notion and essence of love as a construct of the soul and a pathway to eternal spiritual reunion — a glimpse of the connection between man and the divine (Akhtarkhavari).” She brilliantly and carefully read (in Arabic and English) Jalal al-Deen al-Rumi’s poem “What Happened?” from a book she co- published called: Love is My Savior: The Arabic Poems of Rumi. Throughout her presentation she examined the poem’s language and contextualized the concept of love in Sufi tradition.
This event was a special valentine’s day celebration that was held via zoom with approximately 70 attendees. Many participants were very intrigued and thankful for the presentation by Dr.Akhtarkhavari.

Virtual Visits to SQCC
2021-02-02 - 2021-02-05
SQCC virtually hosted the following visiting groups in February:

Foreign Service Institute, US Department of State
Arabic Department, University of Florida

Students watched a video on Oman, and virtually toured SQCC’s permanent exhibition, where they learned about traditional Omani dresses, and handicrafts such as pottery, basketry, silver artwork and woodworking, as well as the aflaj irrigation system. Students also learned about Omani forts, ships, and trade. The groups also took part in a lecture about Omani culture, people, food, traditions, and environment. The virtual visits prompted excellent discussions with the visitors in both English and Arabic.

Embassy Adoption Program 2020 - 2021 Third Session
2020-12-21 08:00 - 17:00
The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center hosted a fifth-grade class from Seaton Elementary School virtually as part of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP) on 21 and 22 December. EAP is a special collaboration between Washington Performing Arts and D.C. Public Schools, hosted virtually this year.
Students learned how to write their names in Arabic and showed off their Arabic handwriting skills with the Arabic letters and words such as Oman, school and Christmas tree and snow. Each student wrote the Arabic words individually after a SQCC staff member showed them the correct way to write the words from right to left. Students and teachers were excited and amazed at the fact that writing Arabic words was so fun.

SQCC Participates at the 9th Annual Winternational Embassy Showcase
2020-12-07 08:00 - 17:00
SQCC participated in the 9th Annual Winternational Embassy Showcase at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on 7 December. Winternational is an exciting celebration showcasing the cultural and culinary traditions of Washington’s diplomatic community. This year and due to the COVID pandemic Winternational continued its annual Embassy Showcase tradition in a new virtual year-long format.
SQCC had a virtual booth in this online platform and promoted Dar Al Herfya Handcrafts House in Oman. Visitors to SQCC’s virtual booth had the opportunity to learn about Oman’s culture, handcrafts, history, geography and traditions as well as SQCC.

SQCC Participated at the Annual National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) 2020
2020-12-04 08:00 - 2020-12-06 18:00
On 4 – 6 December, SQCC participated in the Annual National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference Advancing Social Justice. This year marked the first-ever NCSS Virtual Conference because of COVID Pandemic.
SQCC virtually promoted the Indian Ocean in World History (IOWH) website, an educational resource that explores 94,000 years of human history through seven interactive maps. The website is an excellent resource for history and geography teachers interested in exploring world history from a non-western perspective. The website’s interactive maps highlight primary resource entries in categories of documents, travelers, routes, goods, technologies, objects, places, and geography. The website is a free classroom resource that consists of signature maps, lesson plans, quizzes, trivia and additional educational resources.
In addition to learning about IOWH, people also learned about Oman’s culture, history, geography and traditions as well as SQCC. Visitors to SQCC booth also left comments thanking SQCC for sharing this resource, others invited SQCC to be a virtual exhibitor and presenter in their next coming Social Studies conferences.

Silver & Frankincense: Personal Adornment and Scent in the Arab World
2020-12-02 12:00 - 13:00
Sigrid van Roode, a jewelry historian specializing in traditional jewelry from the Middle East and North Africa, gave an online presentation on 2 December, discussing her new book, Silver & Frankincense: Personal Adornment and Scent in the Arab World. Her research addresses jewelry as material culture of society and focuses in particular on the relation between jewelry and ritual, magic and religion.
Ms. van Roode discussed the significance of scent in Oman and the Arab world, and the multiple utilities and combinations of Oud, frankincense, rose, jasmine and others. The centrality of good scents in daily life, she argued, is that they drive out evil spirits, while bad scents can indicate the presence of evil or decay. Her discussion also addressed how scents are used in milestone occasions including marriage, childbirth, death, as well as in daily life. Van Roode gave examples from her personal collection of silver amulets and jewelry to explain how pieces were constructed to incorporate space to carry scents.
Ms. van Roode is the author of several books, including Desert Silver, widely acclaimed as one of the most accessible introductions to jewelry from the Arab world.
The book can be purchased here:
https://en.blikvelduitgevers.nl/product-page/pre-order-silver-frankincense-scent-and-personal-adornment-in-the-arab-world

Sigrid van Roode on Silver & Frankincense
2020-12-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Join us on Zoom as we welcome Sigrid van Roode to discuss her new book Silver & Frankincense!
When: Wednesday, 2 December from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Where: Online!
Email info@sqcc.org for a Zoom meeting link.

Embassy Adoption Program 2020 - 2021 Second Session
2020-11-18 08:00 - 17:00
The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center hosted a fifth grade class from Seaton Elementary School virtually as part of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP) on Wednesday, November 18th. Taking place on Omani National Day, this was the second installment of the virtual program for the semester. EAP is a special collaboration between Washington Performing Arts and D.C. Public Schools. Students toured the center virtually and were lectured and shown different parts of our exhibit, such as castles, Omani traditional dress, Omani pottery, models of Omani ships (including the ship Sultana), handcrafts, silver and khanjar. Students also virtually toured the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center Library.
During the meeting, the group of students asked questions about Omani naval history, traditional dress, and Omani National Day. Students also asked questions about the friendship between the U.S. and Oman, as well as Bedouin lifestyle and folk tales in Oman.

SQCC Resumes 2020-2021 Embassy Adoption Program (EAP) with Seaton Elementary
2020-10-28 | Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, 1100 16th St. NW., Washington, DC, 20036
The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center virtually hosted a fifth grade class from Seaton Elementary School as part of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP) on Wednesday, October, 28th. EAP is a special collaboration between Washington Performing Arts and D.C. Public Schools. Students interacted with SQCC staff online through a PowerPoint presentation introducing Oman, its culture, geography, climate, traditional dress, and customs. Students were excited to engage with staff, asked many questions, and were very interested to learn about the people of Oman.
For most students, this was their first first time learning about Oman as a country, about the wild animals in Oman, especially the Arabian Oryx, and about Omani frankincense. By the end of the presentation, students asked additional questions about animals in Oman, religious traditions, customs surrounding hospitality, and the geography in Oman.

World Arabic Language Day - "The Arabic Language Through Music"
2020-03-21 18:00 - 20:00
Come celebrate World Arabic Language Day at SQCC on 10 December from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This year’s theme is “The Arabic Language Through Music” featuring a public lecture, live music, and a reception.

Close Up Foundation Visits SQCC for Tour and Teacher Workshop
2020-03-10 08:00 - 17:00
On Tuesday 10 March, SQCC received teachers from Close UP Foundation. Teachers from across the country came to SQCC for a tour of the permanent exhibition. They learned about traditional Omani attire and handicrafts such as pottery, basketry, and silver artwork. During the tour, teachers expressed interest in the historical importance of the aflaj irrigation system, forts, and maritime trade.
After the tour, the group participated in a lecture on SQCC’s Indian Ocean in World History (IOWH) website, an educational resource exploring 94,000 years of human history through seven interactive maps and Oman’s role in the Indian Ocean throughout the ages. The website is a free classroom resource that is comprised of signature maps, lesson plans, quizzes, trivia, and additional educational resources. Teachers also learned how to create their own lesson plan from the website.
In addition to learning about IOWH, guests also learned about Oman’s culture, history, geography, and tradition. Visitors to SQCC’s booth received promotional materials for SQCC programs and bags of frankincense.

Winternational 2019
2020-02-29
SQCC will participate in Winternational on Thursday, December 5, 2019. Come join us at the Ronald Reagan Building of this annual event with D.C.’s diplomatic community.

First SQCC Book Club Meeting
2020-02-20 18:30 - 19:30
The inaugural meeting of the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center Book Club will be held in the SQCC Library on Wednesday, 4 December, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Click to find out what we are reading and join us!

The Life of Sultan Qaboos bin Said: context, reflections, perspectives.
2020-02-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, 1100 16th St. NW., Washington, DC, 20036
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American University Arabic Department Visits SQCC
2020-02-12 08:00 - 17:00
On Tuesday 12 February, SQCC received students from the Arabic Department at American University in Washington, D.C. Students toured SQCC’s permanent exhibition learning about traditional Omani attire and handicrafts such as pottery, basketry, and silverwork. On the tour, students also learned about the historical importance of the aflaj irrigation system, forts, and maritime trade. After the tour, the group listened to a lecture about Omani culture, people, traditions, and the country’s environment. Finally, students asked many questions regarding Omani customs, ecotourism, and SQCC’s mission and programming in the U.S. and abroad. Students were also encouraged to speak in Arabic and to introduce themselves and the reason why they study Arabic at their university. Students then practiced asking questions about Oman in Arabic.

2020 EAP - LaSalle Education Campus visits SQCC
2020-01-24 08:00 - 17:00
On Friday, 24 January, LaSalle Education Campus visited SQCC as part of the 2019-2020 Embassy Adoption Program. Students learned about various aspects of Omani culture. They learned about frankincense and the historical importance of the tree to Omani culture. The presentation focused on the historical and contemporary importance its dried resin, planting of the tree today, and the majmar. After seeing Omani examples of this clay charcoal brassier and being shown an instructional video, students painted models of their own in SQCC’s craft room and took them home. We look forward to welcoming back LaSalle to SQCC in the coming weeks.

Close-Up Students Visit SQCC
2020-01-22 08:00 - 17:00
On 21 January, a student group from Close Up Washington, a local educational non-profit organization, came to SQCC for a tour of the permanent exhibition space and a lecture about Omani customs, history, and traditions. Students learned about frankincense and the majmar, Omani cuisine and sweets, such as halwa, and many other aspects of Omani culture and society.

SQCC Revisits LaSalle-Backus Education Campus for 3rd Session of EAP
2019-12-19 08:00 - 17:00
On Thursday 19 December, the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center (SQCC) visited the fifth graders of LaSalle-Backus Education Campus for the third session of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP). EAP is a partnership program between DC Public Schools and Washington Performing Arts. This time, students learned Omani traditional dance and performed it many time with their classmates for future performance at SQCC. Later on, students learned to sing the Omani National Anthem in Arabic. By the end, students wrote their names again in Arabic to refresh what they have learned in the previous session.

Embassy Adoption Program, Second Visit
2019-12-17 08:00 - 17:00
On Tuesday 17 December, SQCC visited 5th graders of LaSalle-Backus Education Campus School for the Embassy Adoption Program, a unique education and partnership program of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and Washington Performing Arts. Students narrated what they learned in their first visit to SQCC on Oman’s culture, people, geographic location, and food. Students were also introduced to the 11 provinces of Oman through writing the names of provinces on a blank map of Oman. Later on, students learned how to write their names and their parents’ names in Arabic as well.

SQCC Visits Sitar Arts Center
2019-12-16 08:00 - 17:00
On Monday 16 December, SQCC visited Sitar Arts Center, a multidisciplinary arts education center for children and youth in Washington D.C. Students learned about Oman’s rich cultural heritage, handcrafts, history, geography, and beautiful scenery. Students were asked to find and mark Oman on a world map. Later on students learned how to write their names in Arabic and asked many questions about Oman.
