Restoring Kingdom’s oldest mosques to connect past and future

Special Restoring Kingdom’s oldest mosques to connect past and future
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Al-Safa Mosque in Al-Baha region. (SPA)
Special Restoring Kingdom’s oldest mosques to connect past and future
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Al-Khidr Mosque in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Updated 28 March 2023

Restoring Kingdom’s oldest mosques to connect past and future

Restoring Kingdom’s oldest mosques to connect past and future
  • ‘Our ancient ancestors were natural-born architects,’ says heritage researcher
  • Baha’s Al-Safa Mosque will be restored with natural materials from the stones of the Sarawat Mountains

RIYADH: Two of the oldest mosques in Jeddah and Baha, Al-Khidr Mosque and Al-Safa Mosque, will be renovated under the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for Developing Historical Mosques. 

As part of the project’s second phase, Jeddah’s Al-Khidr Mosque will be restored as an architectural masterpiece while increasing its size by an additional 355 square meters, with updates to accommodate modern architectural developments. 

For over 700 years, Al-Khidr Mosque has been an integral part of Al-Balad historic district, and is considered one of the 30 most important historic mosques across Saudi Arabia. 

Built 1,350 years ago, Baha's Al-Safa Mosque will be restored with natural materials from the stones of the Sarawat Mountains. 

Saleh Al-Mosned, a researcher in heritage and history for over 50 years, says preserving historical monuments is important because it connects the present to the past. 

“It is important to preserve an ancient era — preserve it for us, and for future generations to show how the design of Islamic architecture was in the past, and what materials were used during that era, whether the buildings were mosques, corners, or libraries. 

“Our ancient ancestors, teachers and builders, were natural-born architects,” he added. 

Al-Mosned visited the renovated Al-Shafi’i Mosque and Al-Mimar Mosque in Jeddah, and said that the restoration of mosques attracted tourists curious to explore the Kingdom and its architecture. 

“The renovations were with the same primary raw materials with which the two mosques were built, from carved stone, wooden crowns, ceilings made of wood, and the windows and the old inscriptions and decoration,” said Al-Mosned. 

“Mosques are one of the main reasons for bringing tourists to the city — to see the art and design of Islamic architecture and buildings that we have (from) centuries ago,” he added. 

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques serves four objectives that fall in line with Vision 2030: enhancing the religious and cultural status of mosques, restoring historic mosques for worship and prayer, preserving the original features of historic mosques, and highlighting Saudi Arabia’s rich culture.

The project launched in 2018 and has an extensive restoration program for 130 mosques in 13 regions across the Kingdom.

The first phase of the project concluded successfully, with 30 mosques restored and updated in just over a year at a cost of more than SR50 million ($13.3 million).

By the end of phase two, launched in July 2022, 30 more mosques will be restored: six in the Riyadh region, five in the Makkah region, four in the Madinah region, three in the Asir region, two in the Eastern Province, two in Al-Jouf, two in Jazan, one in the Northern Borders region, one in Tabuk, one in Baha, one in Najran, one in Hail, and one in Qassim.


‘Banan’ event weaves local, international heritage in Riyadh

‘Banan’ event weaves local, international heritage in Riyadh
Updated 09 June 2023

‘Banan’ event weaves local, international heritage in Riyadh

‘Banan’ event weaves local, international heritage in Riyadh
  • Handicrafts Week highlights community-building aspect of multinational crafts, including woodworking, blacksmithing, weaving and embroidery

RIYADH: A handicrafts event in Riyadh is shedding light on local and international heritage passed down from one generation to the next.

Titled “Banan,” meaning fingertips in Arabic, the Saudi International Handicrafts Week is highlighting the community-building aspect of multinational crafts, including woodworking, blacksmithing, weaving and embroidery, among others.

The event, which kicked off on Tuesday, will run until June 12 at Riyadh Front.

The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

“There’s no doubt that handicrafts play an important part in economic and cultural projects, and are a factor for creating job and investment opportunities, in addition to their role in preserving cultural heritage and strengthening national identity,” Saudi Deputy Minister of Culture Hamed Fayez said.

The event also invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops throughout the week, gathering centuries of collective stories and legacies from across the globe in one platform.

From Mexico, Regina Velasco Marin and Alberto Lopez Gomez are highlighting the tradition of weaving, filigree design and openwork embroidery techniques using existing cotton materials, like clothing or drapes. The fabric is undone, and cotton threads are reused to create unique patterns and wearable pieces on a backstrap loom.

The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

“I’m proud to be representing five generations of artisans, from my great grandmother to myself. It’s so surprising that my culture has expanded and reached Saudi Arabia. I’m very thankful to my mom for teaching me all of this, and I’m especially proud of her and my grandmother now that I’m here,” Marin told Arab News.

Pottery artist Zaki Al-Gharrash, from the Eastern region of the Kingdom, showcases the unique soil that characterizes the governorate of Al-Qatif and gives off the pale green hue in pottery production.

FASTFACT

Fahad Al-Shammary from Hail uses the stems of Saudi’s national treasures, palm trees, to craft unique doors for interior decorating and miniature ones for gifting.

“This was a hobby first that turned into a profession. If it wasn’t for my love and passion for it, I wouldn’t have kept pursuing it, because it is tiring,” Al-Gharrash said, demonstrating the elongated process, from extracting soil from deep underground, to drying out the product, then working it to clay.

The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

While his father, years ago, made clay pans and water coolers out of necessity, people now look for antiques, driving the craft’s demand. More people are also recognizing the benefits of drinking from clay cups.

“(It) actually revives its qualities, making water more alkaline and healthier for humans, and gives it life again after it dies in plastic. It also keeps it cool, especially in the desert,” the artisan said.

While the profession has become commercialized, it takes an artisan to preserve the unique qualities of pottery during production.

The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Fahad Al-Shammary from Hail uses the stems of Saudi’s national treasures, palm trees, to craft unique doors for interior decorating and miniature ones for gifting. Utilizing the abundance of palms on his family farm, he has managed to take part in a profitable hobby for 15 years and counting.

“This event brings together all the cultures of the north, south, east, and west and its heritage … it’s our ancestor’s, so we have to preserve it,” he said.

Banan is an opportunity for artisans to educate others on the history of their regions and also sell their products through 11 sections of the space.

The event invites craft enthusiasts to engage in hands-on workshops. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Italian handcraft store Lisa Tibaldi Terra Mia attracts customers with the charm of its story. The store’s modern jewelry utilizes plants sourced from the Aurunca land, located between Naples and Rome. “After a (special process), they can be made into a jewel, into a semi-precious material,” Ludovica Zanon, a representative of the business, told Arab News.

The store also carries a collection of authentic silk scarves influenced by the natural palette of the region, with some of the collections delicately printed in native butterflies and ocean waves. A home decor line by Lisa Tibaldi Terra Mia also champions sustainability using 3D printing and biodegradable organic materials.

Zanon said: “Our vision is in strict contact with our territory, so we like to make and craft all our things (sustainably) in Italy because we want to help our territory and make it valuable and not waste our land.

“It’s (very emotional) for me to come here and represent my country and city because Aurunca land is a small territory between Rome and Naples, so it’s important to us to bring our land here and be proud of that.”

 

 


Saudi digital artist adapts video-game heroes with Arabian elements

Al-Jifri’s illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.” (Supplied
Al-Jifri’s illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.” (Supplied
Updated 09 June 2023

Saudi digital artist adapts video-game heroes with Arabian elements

Al-Jifri’s illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.” (Supplied
  • Mosques, falcons and Arabic typography used in her work
  • Also produces original art for YouTube channels and books

RIYADH: Saudi digital artist Jewmana Al-Jifri has carved a niche for herself in the gaming and anime industry with illustrations marked by elements drawn from Arab culture.

Al-Jifri, 32, forayed into the world of illustration by chance. “My father’s gift of a tablet to me in 2009 marked my accidental introduction into the world of digital art. I used to be a traditional painter, but after getting the tablet, I committed all of my time and energy to mastering digital sketching,” Al-Jifri told Arab News in a recent interview.  

Over time, Al-Jifri’s passion for video games inspired her to seek greater creativity in her work. Her illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.”

Al-Jifri’s illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.” (Supplied)

One of her reworkings is a character from “Assassin Creed” seen with a sambosa, a popular snack that Muslims consume during iftar in Ramadan in the Gulf. She also uses mosques, Arabian falcons and Arabic typography to give her illustrations a Middle Eastern look.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jemma Jam (@jemmajamart)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jemma Jam (@jemmajamart)

“My mother is a superb artist, and she gave me the inspiration to start drawing when there was no current technology available. I learned to draw exclusively (from) the TV screen. And as the years went by, video games became a major source of inspiration for me because they offer more intricate drawings than cartoons do in a variety of different aspects, such as costume and character design.”

Al-Jifri’s all-time favorite is “Assassin’s Creed” because she considers it different from other video games. “It tells a lot about (real) historical stories and events that are mentioned in the history books.

Al-Jifri’s illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.” (Supplied)

“It allows players to see famous historical cities and monuments in various eras such as Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and Santa Maria del Fiore in Italy and Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul.”

Al-Jifri started displaying her work on social media, and in 2021, joined the official Assassin’s Creed Rebellion Community Server on Discord as she was eager to have her work recognized by the gaming community.

BACKGROUND

Al-Jifri started displaying her work on social media, and in 2021, joined the official Assassin’s Creed Rebellion Community Server on Discord as she was eager to have her work recognized by the gaming community. 

The community allows players of the game to network, compete in challenges, and provides a platform for talented individuals to showcase their creative skills.

Al-Jifri’s illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.” (Supplied)

She published her first work on the community’s network in May 2021, “thanks to the continuous motivation from the members. In October 2022, I was selected as an interactive artist in the server to volunteer to create digital stickers for the server with the help of an artist from Malaysia, and we finished creating the posters last April.”

The poster highlights stickers that could be used by the community to display a range of emotions, from surprise to anger. It has been posted permanently on the community’s server.

Al-Jifri not only adapts existing characters but produces original work for clients, encompassing video games, YouTube channels and books.

Al-Jifri’s illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.” (Supplied)

“In 2018, some players in FFXIV (Final Fantasy XIV) knew me and offered me a commission to make a special drawing for them for their desktop. Honestly, my target back then, (by) accepting these commissions, was to pay for a new tablet and a new program for developing my digital art skills,” she said.

“I previously turned my passion into freelancing where many clients would come to me for character designs and I faced a lot of criticism, but I overcame these things and changed the concept of digital art for the better,” Al-Jifri added.

Her passion for illustrating earned her a Final Fantasy runners-up prize for one of the best shield designs for the game in 2018. “This is only the beginning and I am still developing my technical skills to do more when I get opportunities like this.”

Al-Jifri’s illustrations are inspired by video-game heroes and characters from “Final Fantasy” and “Assassin’s Creed.” (Supplied)

Al-Jifri believes that stepping into the digital world is important for artists who want to get global recognition.

“This made it easier for many painters to share their work around the world, not just in one city. In recent years, I’ve gained a lot of followers and fans who inspire me with their admiration for my work, to produce more graphics of the well-known video game series ‘Assassin’s Creed,’ as a historical game between reality and fantasy that varies in its curation.”

In future, Al-Jifri wants to set up a character-design institute for creatives who want to collaborate and connect with video game developers.

https://www.instagram.com/jemmajamart/

 


US-Saudi ties strong despite differing views on OPEC+ oil production cut: Blinken

US-Saudi ties strong despite differing views on OPEC+ oil production cut: Blinken
Updated 36 min 45 sec ago

US-Saudi ties strong despite differing views on OPEC+ oil production cut: Blinken

US-Saudi ties strong despite differing views on OPEC+ oil production cut: Blinken
  • Antony Blinken said that decades-long ties remain strong despite differing views on the decision by OPEC+ nations to cut oil-production targets
  • He added that ‘there are important opportunities for our two countries to work together to advance some very positive issues, very positive trends’

RIYADH: The decades-long strategic relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US remains strong and is going through a period of “increasing convergence,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

During an official trip to Saudi Arabia, Washington’s top diplomat told Hiba Nasr of Asharq News that the Kingdom and the US are successfully working together despite “a difference in views” over the decision by OPEC+ nations last October to cut oil-production targets.

“We’ve had a partnership together for decades that was grounded in security, in cooperation, energy and, in recent years, counterterrorism, and that foundation remains,” Blinken said.

“But what we’re also seeing — and what this visit reconfirms — is that there are important opportunities for our two countries to work together to advance some very positive issues, very positive trends.”

Blinken, who attended a Global Coalition Against Daesh conference in Riyadh this week, said the deescalation of tensions in the Middle East was a priority for both countries, but that the Kingdom and the US have also been working together well on a “positive trajectory based on interests we share” in other arenas.

This includes “collaboration between our countries in addressing some of the challenges that not only are of concern to our people but to people around the world, from health security to climate security to energy security to food security and, of course, the transition to clean energy, working on emerging technologies,” he added.

Blinken said the US is not abandoning the Middle East in the face of growing Chinese and Russian influence and is “here to stay” in the region.

“Day-in, day-out, we’re working with partners throughout the region and what I hear in almost all of my engagements is the US remains the No. 1 partner of choice; that is clear in what I hear, what we hear from all of our partners,” he added.

“And we’re engaging with them, working with them both to deal with many of the challenges (that you just talked about), which are real and urgent and acute, but also — and this is so important — on an affirmative agenda for the future; not just dealing with the crisis but actually trying, together, to build a better future for our people in the US and for people throughout this region.

“So, yes, we’re dealing with crises, we’re dealing with security challenges, but we’re also dealing with an affirmative agenda. And across the board on all of that, as I said, what I hear again and again is the US is our preferred partner. We are a partner and we’re here.”

On the issue of the recent Beijing-brokered agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Blinken said any and all contributions by countries, including China, to the advancement of peace in the region is a positive step.

“We applaud what happened,” he said. “Anything that deescalates tensions, that takes at least one problem off of the agenda, and in this case also may have the additional benefit of helping to advance a peace in Yemen, we think is a good thing.

“Of course, the Saudis and Iranians have been talking together for at least a couple of years to get to this place. We’ll see what happens now.

“If countries — including China — can play a positive role, wherever it is, in helping to advance peace, to reduce tensions then, again, I think that’s positive, that’s what we should all be trying to do.”

Blinken also praised Saudi Arabia for its role in joint humanitarian efforts and its attempts to help end the conflict in Sudan.

“We had, by the way in very close partnership with Saudi Arabia, some success in getting very limited ceasefires that were highly imperfect but did allow more humanitarian assistance to get in (to Sudan) and reach about 2 million people that otherwise would not have had this assistance provided to them,” he said.

With both sides in the conflict increasingly ignoring truce commitments, Blinked added that if neither side was serious about the ceasefire process, Washington has “tools at its disposal” to help bring about a lasting peace.


Saudi Arabia’s environment award launched to encourage conservation

Governor Prince Faisal bin Salman. (Supplied)
Governor Prince Faisal bin Salman. (Supplied)
Updated 09 June 2023

Saudi Arabia’s environment award launched to encourage conservation

Governor Prince Faisal bin Salman. (Supplied)
  • Twenty-three private, government and local entities will be entered in the first year of the award, under the slogan “the environment is for us and for our generations”

MADINAH: Governor Prince Faisal bin Salman launched the Madinah Award for Environment to encourage conservation..

Twenty-three private, government and local entities will be entered in the first year of the award, under the slogan “the environment is for us and for our generations”.

The award has seven categories: combating desertification and increasing plant cover, the use of alternatives to plastic, the production of environmental awareness work, research and innovation in recycling, combating carbon emission and marine environment conservation.

The secretary general of the Madinah Award Foundation, Mohammed bin Ibrahim Abbas, said the new award was “an opportunity to recognize the efforts made by different sectors, to promote awareness of the importance of protecting Madinah’s environment and to contribute to building a better future for our future generations.”

Foundation CEO Majid Al-Bijawi said award organizers studied dozens of other similar schemes and held workshops to finalize the judging criteria. He added that a ceremony would be held to announce the winners.

 

 


Saudi Arabia to create ‘Woven’ cultural legacy at 4th London Design Biennale

Saudi Arabia to create ‘Woven’ cultural legacy at 4th London Design Biennale
Updated 09 June 2023

Saudi Arabia to create ‘Woven’ cultural legacy at 4th London Design Biennale

Saudi Arabia to create ‘Woven’ cultural legacy at 4th London Design Biennale
  • Sadu-style, 50m tapestry creation allows visitor input
  • Ruba Alkhaldi and Lojain Rafaa are designers, curators

LONDON: Saudi Arabia is participating in the 4th London Design Biennale with a pavilion entitled “Woven” created by two leading female designers.

Over the course of the 25-day biennale, which kicked off on Thursday, a 50-meter-long tapestry will be woven by visitors to the Saudi Pavilion, based on the traditional “Sadu” weaving practice.

This is the first time that the Kingdom, which is being represented by the Architecture and Design Commission — part of the Ministry of Culture — has participated in the annual exhibition with a large-scale interactive display.

“We had an invited call for participation to allow many of our designers to have an opportunity to be part of showcasing their work,” which “shows how now there is a legacy that we are building on,” Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the commission, told Arab News.

“The traditional arts of weaving, for instance, it’s also very future, forward-looking in the sense that it’s a collaborative design piece where every thread that is now put into the woven canvas is some sort of a timestamp of what is important in our future. And allowing all the participants who would like to be part of this to have a voice and tell us what is important to them,” she added.

The installation has been designed and curated by leading Saudi designers Ruba Alkhaldi and Lojain Rafaa, and consists of a large loom and visual displays. Participants have a choice of weaving one of five different color threads, each representing innovation, nature, spirituality, knowledge and wellness.

Al-Solaiman said one of the commission’s aims was to showcase the richness of Saudi culture. “If we look at the traditional art, traditional architecture and how all of that is influencing our cultural renaissance at this time, it’s an amazing time for us to have this multiplicity of voices coming in and showcasing that.”

She said the response has been “resoundingly positive,” and they were excited to see the outcome as it would give them a more historical view, while also creating a legacy that they would display at future venues.

Al-Solaiman said that the work had to follow the theme of this year’s biennale, which is “The Global Game: Remapping Collaborations.”

“When you remap collaboration, thinking about the past, the present, but then also the future, I think this work really brings all of those together.”

The commission’s strategy is aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan and is responsible for regulating and uplifting the architecture and design sector, she said. This includes community engagement, talent development, gross domestic product contribution, diversification of the economy, research, and celebrating the products of Saudi architects and designers nationally and internationally, she added.

Alkhaldi, who is a design innovation strategist, said she focuses on how design could drive future innovation. The collaborative interactive installation was a platform where the participants’ thoughts and perceptions about the future “will be bonded and connected through what we call the fabric of humanity.”

Alkhaldi said that they were inspired by the Sadu craftspeople because it was led by powerful nomad women in the desert who had limited resources and created multiple ways to assemble and create fabric.

“That fabric, at the end, extended value to affect us socially, culturally and even on the level of architecture and art — it’s included in tents, in houses and part of our culture till now.

“It was a symbol of revolution and we wanted to recreate that sense of revolution within the experience in the London Design Biennale,” said the 34-year-old from Dammam in the Eastern Province.

Alkhaldi added that they were also inspired by Vision 2030 which focuses on creating an innovative community in Saudi Arabia and encourages people to share their thoughts and opinions, and the installation was meant to show their welcoming nature.

“We’re trying to tell people that we are welcoming our opinions, our thoughts and let’s interlace it together to shape the future globally, not just locally,” she added.

She said there was positive feedback from people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds, interacting and sharing stories about their culture and weaving techniques.

Victoria Broackes, director of the biennale, said the theme of remapping collaboration was about bringing countries, nations and cities together — and also different disciplines and ideas, to find new ways of working.

“The exhibits that we have here from Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai visibly show how these ideas do not come from one type of discipline, they come from a multitude of different people and types of people working together,” she added.