Emirates Falconers’ Club, in collaboration with the New York University Abu Dhabi and the International Fund of Houbara Conservation, is set to host a research falconry conference with the title Raptor and Falconry Depictions Throughout The Millennia on a Global Scale from 5-8 March.

Falconry Conference, to be officially opened by Emirates Falconers’ Club Executive Director H.E. Majed Ali Al Mansouri, stands as part of the club’s efforts to fulfill its organizational objectives in preserving and promoting falconry as an essential foundation of the country’s cultural and historical heritage. The event is being held under the agreement between the club, New York University Abu Dhabi, and the International Fund of Houbara Conservation for the creation of a research fellowship program that will be dedicated to the study of falconry.

H.E. Majed Al Mansouri commented on the agreement, saying, “The falconry research program that will be fulfilled in cooperation with the Emirates Falconers’ Club, New York University Abu Dhabi and the International Fund of Houbara Conservation aims to open the horizons for scientific advancements on raptor and falconry depictions through imagery that extends from 3000 BC to the present day with the participation of the world’s leading scientists and experts who represent different field disciplines.”

Al Mansouri added, “The UAE, through the vision and legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, has served as a beacon in spreading the understanding and awareness of the value that falconry initiatives hold in enlivening traditions, culture and heritage. Our efforts to fulfill this vision would not be possible without the guidance and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the continuous support of His Highness Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, as well as His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the UAE Falconers’ Club.”

Falconry, also known as the art of hunting, is recognized by UNESCO as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The practice is known to play an integral role in connecting each culture’s traditions with their natural environment, leaving different traces such as imagery which links the past with the present practice.

Falconry Conference will discuss the critical understanding of raptor and falconry depictions from both older archaeological and younger art historical times. The three-day session will see the participation of expert speakers and professors that will begin with the presentation of bird images including cave and rock art by Professor Erdenebat Ulambayar (Mongolia) and Dr. Maria Lazarich Gonzalez (Spain). Falconry images from the Arab region will be addressed in detailed lectures by Doctor Verena Daiber (Germany) and Doctor Magdalena Valor (Spain), while Professor Baudouin Van den Abeele (Belgium) will tackle the collection of European falconry images post 1000 CE.

The conference will go further into the background of bird and falconry imagery through a lecture on the biology of the birds of prey by Professor Anita Gamauf (Austria), as well as the religious role of birds in the archaeological periods to be discussed Professor Dr. Alan Warburton (China).

The organizers explained that the conference serves as a platform that studies and discusses falconry, its history and the integral role that Arab countries play in upholding, disseminating and reviving falconry traditions.

The research and studies that will be presented and discussed during the three-day event will be used in the creation of an upcoming book on the history and cultural heritage of falconry. A total of over 50 selected drafts will be reviewed and edited to be a part of the book.

The organizers said, “The Falconry program will run for a period of two years with the help of a selection of authors and experts in preparation for the drafting and editing of the book which will be entitled The Global Photography of Saqqara, from 3000 BC to the present era. This will include more than 50 articles by international experts which will tackle the different disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, cultural and art history and media studies.”

The drafting process will be led by Germany’s Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeological Center Senior Researcher Dr. Oliver Grimm who will serve as the first editor of the book, to be assisted by an editorial advisory board that consists of representatives of the university, Emirates Falconers’ Club and the International Fund of the Houbara Conservation. Dr. Anne-Lise Tropato, Program Coordinator and Editorial Assistant of the Humanities Research Fellowship Program will oversee the inclusion of photo collections, acquisition of copyrights, and the creation of an annotated image database for falconry. Access to the database will be open to scientists and the public for viewing.