As-salamu alaykum - A stall of memories at the Sharjah Book Fair
As-salamu alaykum. Deep among the orderly stacks of new books at the Sharjah International Book Fair, there’s a small, old-fashioned stall that feels like a trip back in time.
Photos of Abdel Halim Hafez and a young Yasser Arafat hang on its walls. Old papers tell of the passing of Umm Kulthum and the birth of the United Arab Emirates. Vintage magazine covers show stars like Faten Hamama. The place takes up several stalls but somehow feels cosy and crowded. People carefully pick through the piles of books and magazines, trying not to topple the leaning towers of paper - every now and then one comes down.
This is the Arab Archive for Heritage Foundation, a little slice of Soor Al-Azbakeya, Cairo’s famous used-book market, brought to the fair. It’s a small treasure of history amid the glossy new releases, a tradition that goes back about 125 years and that Mohammed Sadeq traces back to his great-grandfather.
“My family began the business around 1900 near Al Azhar Mosque,” Sadeq says. “We used to be called Al Warraqeen - those who collected printed material: books, magazines, photos, old newspapers.”
He grew up in the trade. “I used to go to work with my father when I was a little child. He tied me to a lamp post so I wouldn’t run into the street,” he laughs. By seven he was working the stall, and as he grew older he broadened the stock. Being near Al-Azhar meant the shop originally sold mainly religious texts, history and classical works. Later, novels, management books and other subjects were added as tastes changed.
When Sadeq took over he focused on archiving - arranging newspapers, journals, photos and books like a proper archive. The stall at the fair shows that effort. Each cover, article or photograph opens a window onto a past moment.
There’s a 1969 issue of Al-Musawar reporting the arson at Al-Aqsa, a 1970 paper calling Arafat “leader of the Palestinian Revolution”, and bold headlines marking the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser. You can even find magazines that show Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid taking part in events in Egypt in 2001, and many pages documenting the early days and development of the UAE, including statements by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.
“I found that what Sheikh Sultan said in the 1970s about education, building masajid and developing Sharjah all came true,” Sadeq says. “Seeing Sharjah now - its respect for books and culture - made me sure my craft would live on.”
He believes printed books will endure despite new technologies and online archives. “No matter how AI or the internet grow, I love paper,” he says. “If everyone relied only on the internet, I’d leave this work. But I don’t think that will happen.”
Family and friends have pushed him toward more profitable paths, but for Sadeq this is more than a job. “It’s a mission. The early traders were pillars of culture. When that spirit fades, I feel it’s my duty to keep it alive.”
He says sitting among newspapers from 50, 60 or 70 years ago is like watching nations’ stories unfold - colonialism, independence, the birth of cinema, the rise of television, social change across the Arab world. “I have gone through them all and felt like I lived a thousand years in one lifetime,” he adds.
May Allah preserve those who keep our memory and culture alive. The book fair runs until November 17.
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