A glamorous mix of the modern and the super modern Dubai's skyline dominated by gleaming skyscrapers and multi-lane highways is home to a burgeoning brand culture and a very cosmopolitan ambiance. In this ultra urban environment the Bastakiya district is something of an oddity and a charming one at that. A large enclosure of mud baked houses on the fringes of the sprawling city it opens up as an oasis in a concrete jungle.

A traditional Arab hutment, a compound of twenty rural dwellings with low roofed, mud plastered walls, narrow alleys and central courtyards Bastakiya is Dubai's very own authentic desert village. No longer inhabited by locals, who have moved onto greener pastures, the creek complex, beside a river expanse where precariously laden dhows still ply their trade, has been given another life as an art village. Scoured spotless, the courtyards and small rooms of the traditional houses make a pleasant and very 'arty' backdrop to a range of contemporary work, mainly from the Middle East. In the largest of the twenty two galleries clustered here, XVA Gallery's, shady courtyards host films, talks and performances as well as some very current art in a variety of artists' rooms. Founded by the American émigré Mona Hauser in 2003 XVA boasts, in addition to the art space, a vegetarian cafe, a store and a gorgeous eight-room hotel.

The district was in the spotlight recently when it hosted the Creek Art Fair in tandem with Art Dubai, Middle East's premiere art fair. Organized by XVA, the CAF is a collective effort of the entire artistic community of Dubai. It is an independent as well as a fringe art fair aiming at placing the international limelight on Dubai's art and cultural agenda. The CAF opens up the traditional environment of Bastakiya to the art of today. Involving international, regional and local galleries, artists and cultural institutions, the program of events included daily exhibitions, movie screenings, receptions, installations, workshops and sessions. Mobilizing its 22 galleries, institutions and art related magazines, the Fair provided a new and exciting platform for artistic expression. Running its second edition, the CAF mined some new areas of interest. It introduced a movie program based on the theme of "Transgressions," along with screenings of a cosmopolitan roster of classically controversial films like Lolita and Blue Velvet in the gallery café. Also presented were a series of talks by leading architects and cultural experts like Rem Koolhaas, Reza Derakshani and other notables on topics such as censorship, collecting and construction.

One of the highlights of this year's Fair was Alef Magazine's first art show in collaboration with XVA and Phillips de Pury & Company, the world's leading contemporary auction house for which this event will represent the first foray into the Dubai art market. The edgy art show was curated by Ana Finel Honigman arts editor for Alef, the bi-monthly pan-Arab art and fashion magazine that is published in London but focuses on the Middle East.

The CAF also keeps an eye out for local talents by devoting one of the Bastakiya houses to young and emerging UAE artists. By involving 3 universities it had provided a platform for new talents.

This event has also gathered momentum, compared to last year when there were only eight houses available. The opening night (which took place before the fair itself opened) attracted over 1,000 visitors and saw the start of very strong buying, particularly of Iranian art, much to UAE nationals. Noteworthy was a display of works by Charles-Hossein Zenderoudi, whose calligraphically inspired abstracts already fetch seven figures.

Malekeh Nayiny sold examples from her Demon series of coloured photographic prints for €9,000 (£7,000) at XVA gallery. This series has also been on display at the Vuitton centre in Paris. Watercolours of childlike fantasy landscapes by Farah Abolghasemi were selling strongly at 14,000 Dirhams (£200) at Total Arts. Ms Hauser confirmed that it is important for dealers not to overprice in this still nascent market

Among the varied art on show the most magnificent spread was created by Fereydoun Ave, who lovingly arranged the seven ingredients used in the traditional "haft sin" table for the Norouz, the ancient Iranian New Year festival (the seven items all begin with the letter Sîn in the Persian alphabet, and represent the seven creations). On a carpet of grass running to the exhibition's entrance, Ave arranged mirrors, piles of salt, eggs, pita, gold sweets (replacing the traditional gold coins), candles and bowls with live gold-fish.

Like Dubai itself, the fair is still being built, and can be expected to evolve as dealers and clients alike deepen their knowledge of the field. "We had better questions this year and more serious people, and I feel the fair has greater momentum," said gallerist Max Lang of New York. Widely termed as a 'fringe art fair' and a 'satellite' to the larger Dubai Art fair, CAF was an allied event but one that held its own. Unlike the glitz, glamour and commercial appeal surrounding Art Dubai, CAF's rustic overtones complemented its unconventional, edgy art. Bastakiya was well utilized as a village of contemporary art.

Both Art Dubai and the Creek Art fair are in their second year and prove that Dubai's art scene is booming alongside its construction. With Christies and Sotheby's doing steady business here, and both the Guggenheim and Louvre primed to set up sister spaces in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat island, Dubai's two main fairs can look forward to joining Frieze, Basel and the Armory as mandatory stops on worldly art-goers' calendars.

Women and the

Fatimids

In the World of Islam

By Delia Cortese and

Simonetta Calderini

Published by: Oxford University Press,

Plot 38, Sector 15, Korangi

Industrial Area, Karachi-74900.

Price: PKR 495 Pp: 269

Fatimids, the dynasty named after the Prophet's daughter Fatima (RA), was well established in the eleventh century in Egypt. It was a highly regarded era where women managed to get recognition for their uncharted abilities which were not brought in the open for assessment.

"Women and the Fatimids in the World of Islam" is another well-researched and highly informative book published by Oxford University Press, celebrating, Pakistan's 60 years of existence. In a wider perspective, looking at history to determine some of the remarkable achievements of individuals, groups of people, dynasties etc, seldom one comes across such women who have played a significant role leaving their mark on the minds of people. Women, and for that matter Muslim women, have rarely been mentioned for their contribution towards the betterment of humankind. It is in this regard that the book is invaluable as it researches into one of the most fascinating periods – the Fatimids. In the Islamic dynasties, the Fatimids stand out as the only one that relates to Muslim women, and on a wider scale, their role in exercising authority, courts, in their role as mothers, courtesans, wives, daughters, workers and servants.

The problem with historical perspective of events, and people is that at times not enough information is available to make a viable assessment of true facts. In case of Fatimids, the researchers were lucky because a great deal of documented information was available to present a clear picture of various aspects of the dynasty. It was mainly the relative abundance of primary sources, the abundance of Ismaili literature, accessibility to Ismaili manuscripts and collection of libraries and private sources that made the study and the concept of Ismailism, a clear reflection on the Fatimids.

Today, there is an abundance of literature available on Ismaili women's contemporary aspects of their participation in nearly every facet of life – in education, health services, activities management and social-work, and ritual activities. This alone has created a great deal of interest with social scholars to study the approach, motivation and dedication of Ismaili women to various aspects of activities to enhance the civil-life environment of their and also interacting communities.

The book deals with many aspects, concept of lineage, descendent lead characters and a status pattern adhering to ancestral obligations. It also deals with the affairs of life inside palaces, outside in social environment, handling of court matters, dealing with men and women both with understanding and in a highly professional manner.

The finding of various etching and carvings of court scenes show men and women enjoying music, singing and dancing – reflecting a happy, social and cultural environment.

Fatimids influence and power spread over a wide area and their rule brought peace, prosperity and better management all over the domain. For almost a century following the establishment of Cairo, Egypt, the political and administrative stability, economic growth and an improved way of life continued to exist. Various manuscripts of the famous Fatimid physician Ibn Ridwan reflect on eleventh-century living conditions of the people.

The slow deterioration that started setting-in began when the Byzantine emperors and the Abbasid caliphs decided to strengthen the dynasties. They created a system of inter-marriages in order to strengthen family bonds, develop common interests and widen family ties on a larger scale than what already existed. This concept was opposed by the Fatimid imam-caliphs and they not only discouraged such moves but in fact tried their level best to prevent such unions.

What followed next, again as described by Ibn Ridwan, was the setting-in of corrupt practices, disregard to moral values etc. This, as people believed, resulted in famine, epidemics and wars destroying the very fabric of the society.

The book presents women's contributions within the context of Ismaili and Fatimid order, their dynasties and their past history. The status and roles of women in Islamic and non-Islamic courts are fully explored and highlighted.

The two researchers/ authors, Delia Cortese and Simonetta Calderini both in the teaching profession have accomplished a highly appreciative work, "Women and the Fatmids". Delia Cortese teaches Religious Studies at Middlesex University, London and is the author of Arabic Ismaili Manuscripts: Thr Zahid Ali Collection and Ismaili and Other Arabic Manuscripts. Simonetta Calderini teaches Islamic Studies at Roehampton University in London (UK), and has contributed to the Encyclopaedia of the Quran, Christianity and Islam, and Religious and Political Authority in Judaism.

Aur Pakistan

By Dr. Zahoor Ahmed Azhar

Published by: University of Faisalabad

Price: Not mentioned Pages: 292

After Humayoon's return from exile in Iran, he reoccupied his throne at Delhi with the assistance of the Iranian soldiers and some of his own loyal men. Unfortunately Humayoon died shortly afterwards, and his son Akbar was proclaimed the King under the guidance of Bairam Khan the Chief administrator, and a reliable companion of his father.

Akbar was just fourteen years old when he succeeded to the throne of his father. He was not given any proper education, but he had the talent and ability to grasp things and the situation. The Kingdom of Delhi was virtually confined to a very small stretch of land. The Hindu Rajputs had taken over large areas of the country, in addition to the belligerent Afghan chiefs, descendants of Sher Shah Suri.

Akbar soon realized that the Kingdom of Delhi, could not survive without the assistance of the Hindu Rajput rulers. So, he extended his hand of friendship to these rulers, and even entered into matrimonial alliances, with the Hindu Rajahs. He married Hindu princesses, and offered high ranking posts to Hindu Rajputs at his Royal Courts. Thus he was able to lay a strong foundation for his Mughal Empire. Simultaneously, under the influence of his Hindu wives, he introduced some of their customs and way of life, within his empire.

In order to please the Hindus he forbade cow-slaughters and abolished the Jiziya tax which displeased his Muslim subjects. In his ambition to create a unified system of life for all his Hindu and Muslim subjects, he introduced a new religion, which he named 'Deen-e-Ilahi'. However, this did not gain any popularity and soon died down.

The 'Deen-e-Ilahi' remained enforced during the life-time of Akbar and soon after his death the whole system (idea) collapsed.

Akbar's 'Deen-e-Illahi' was stiffly resisted by the Islamic religious leaders. Sheikh Ahmed Sixhindi was a great scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence, and a saintly figure at that time. He is better known as Mujaddid-Alaf-e-Sani or the reviver of the second century. He waged a war of resistance and with the co-operation of some other religious leaders, eradicated the effect of Deen-e-Illahi. He was also thrown into prison for sometime.

As far as the Deen-e-Islam is concerned, Allah has Himself undertaken to safeguard Islam, and His book the Qura'an.

Mansur Aye, a well-known Karachi based artist, a kind and gentle soul passed away at the Agha Khan Hospital on Monday 14 April 2008. His passing away has created a vacuum not easy to fill as his work was his own signature, very different from his contemporaries. He was recognised in the art community as an artist of great stature, loved by family and friends, and his work was admired locally and abroad.

A large number of people, family and friends, artists and admirers, and a number of his neighbours were present at the last journey to his eternal abode.

My association with him was mostly in term of artist and art critic. I attended most of his work's exhibition in various art galleries and on all occasions his cordial welcome and friendly discussion about his work remained simple. His attitude was never to impress or talk-big about his canvases. He was a humble person, gentle artist, yet what he produced was a master's work using simply sophisticated lines that ended up defining portraits, faces and eyes, all in its most simple manner yet overpowering impact. In the same simplest of forms, his 'moon faced females' gave him his signature and that became his identity.

He leaves behind a loving and caring family, his wife, Shahnaz Mansur an academician, son Munawar and a daughter who is an architect.

Three times the crow has cawed

At the window, baleful eyes fixed

On mine, wings slightly raised

In sinister poise, body tense

And neck craned like a nagging woman's,

Filling the room with voice and presence.

Three times I got the message,

Sleep-walking on the air of thought

With muddy clothes, and floated down,

Concerned for all created things,

To cope with the visitor

Whose terms would compromise my own.

All day I waited, as befits

The folk belief that following

The crow a visitor would come,

An angel in disguise, perhaps,

Or else temptation in unlikely shape

To test my promises, ruin my sleep.

It was not like that at all.

His hands were empty, his need:

Only to kill a little time.

Between his good intentions

And my sympathy, the cigarette smoke

Was more substantial then our talk.

I see how wrong I was

Not to see precisely this:

Outside the miracles of mind,

The figure in the carpet blazing,

Ebb-flow of sex and the seasons,

The ordinaries of most events.