January 21, 2019,

In a meeting inspired during Ramadan, Her Highness Sheikha Hana bint Juma’a Al Majid, the wife of H. H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, requested a book of memoirs recounting nostalgic recollections of Ras Al Khaimah from the 1960s as a final tribute for the Year of Zayed. A group of spirited ladies began compiling and transforming personal memories into 33 short stories, each with its own distinct aroma, capable of transporting readers on a unique cultural adventure through Ras Al Khaimah, and focusing on small, details that have up until now remained locked-away, childhood secrets of Ras Al Khaiman inhabitants.  As a result of their joyous labour, the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK)’s Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Languages, and Literature Department, Dr. Khaledah Yousef Ghareeb Al Mansoori, has published Memories of the Fragrant Past.

The intention of the book is to intoxicate readers with the savoury perfumes of the past, the first-hand accounts of feelings and attitudes concerning sentimental details of the writers’ lives: day-to-day practices, how have they honed their personalities, the nature of life in their society, development of relationships between members of their community, the inspirations that motivated the people to advance through the obstacles of a tough life, and, above all, the prevailing customs and traditions of the time period. One whiff will convey young, budding Ras Al Khaimah society members on a first-time journey, while allowing blossomed inhabitants to relive the amorous breeze that was once their city.

The book was published on December 24, 2018 as the last activity in The Year of Zayed. Sheikha Hana honoured the authors of the book and thanked them for their hard work, encouraging them to continue writing about the heritage of Ras Al Khaimah during that beautiful time.