Living up to its image as a venue for unparalleled shopping and cultural experiences, Nakheel’s iconic Ibn Battuta Mall will present an original musical production in English titled ‘Ibn’, based on the life and travels of the renowned 14th century Arab explorer Ibn Battuta today, June 20, 2006.
The production is being staged by students of grade 4, 5 and 6 from Dubai’s Emirates International School Meadows. It will take place at 6 pm against the spectacular backdrop of the China Court of the Mall, which is the Middle East’s largest themed mall built to reflect the architectural styles of the various countries the Arab scholar travelled through in his quest for knowledge and experience.
Colin Fenton, Mall Manager, Ibn Battuta Mall said: “Ibn Battuta Mall has carved a unique niche for itself in the regional retail segment, emerging not just as the Middle East’s premier shopping destination with exciting outlets but also as a venue that promotes the region’s culture, architectural heritage and history though innovative and entertaining initiatives.”
“We are delighted to be part of this exciting new production, as it brings together budding talent from diverse cultures and allows us to further our commitment of enriching the cultural experience in the local community. The initiative also furthers our goal of educating people about Arab inventions, discoveries and scholarly contributions, and their impact on modern civilization,” Fenton added.
‘Ibn’ is conceived by Ben Findlay, Junior School Music and Drama Teacher at the Meadows. He has also written the script and musical score for the production, which supports elements of the International Primary Curriculum taught at the school. ‘Ibn’ will be performed by children of over 40 different nationalities, many of them representing the countries visited by Ibn Battuta between 1325 AD and 1369 AD.
Ibn Battuta Mall is Dubai’s most visited shopping complex and boasts of six main themed courts designed to reflect the architectural styles of China, India, Persia, Tunisia, Egypt, Andalusia-- countries the Arab adventurer visited in his time—offering visitors a glimpse into the past.
Ibn Battuta Mall is a project from Nakheel, one of the Middle East’s leading real estate developers and driving force behind some of the world’s most spectacular developments, including The World, a man-made island cluster in the Arabian Gulf, The Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Jebel Ali, and The Palm Deira, all being built to reflect the silhouette of a palm tree on reclaimed land off the coast of Dubai.
About Ibn Battuta Mall
Ibn Battuta Mall, a Nakheel project, is located adjacent to Sheikh Zayed Road between Interchanges 5 and 6. The Mall combines retail, entertainment, restaurant and family activities all within a uniquely themed environment. The inspiration for the theme of Ibn Battuta Mall is the legendary Arab explorer Ibn Battuta. The unique design of the shopping mall and separately themed courts are based on his travels through Asia and the Middle East. Each of the six courts is themed on a country and a shopping zone to reflect Ibn Battuta's travels through Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India, and China. The spacious Mall covering an area of 3.1 million square feet, offers a charming mix of shopping outlets, specialty shops, restaurants, a hypermarket and a cinema Megaplex. Parking space has been allocated for more than 5,000 cars, taking the total site space up to 5.4 million square feet.
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
