Prague to send repaired art damaged by Daesh home to Syria

Prague to send repaired art damaged by Daesh home to Syria
A woman looks at one of twenty artefacts repaired by Czech art restorers after being damaged during the civil war in Syria in the exhibition at Prague’s National Museum, Apr. 18, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 18 April 2023
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Prague to send repaired art damaged by Daesh home to Syria

Prague to send repaired art damaged by Daesh home to Syria
  • Syrian government forces retook control of Palmyra in 2017 after the city had served as a stage for public executions, with many of its famed landmarks destroyed by Daesh
  • Inspired by previous cooperation with Sudan and Afghanistan, the museum brought the artefacts from Syria in 2022 and its team of six restorers took a year to repair them

PRAGUE: Twenty artefacts repaired by Czech art restorers after being damaged during the civil war in Syria are on display at Prague’s National Museum before their return back home next month.
The objects include three limestone funerary portraits from the UNESCO-listed ancient site of Palmyra, which were damaged by Daesh group militants who took the city by force in 2015.
“Things get damaged by fighting, on purpose for ideological reasons, or by local people looking for something to sell,” National Museum director Michal Lukes told AFP.
“These portraits were all smashed with metal hammers,” he added at the “Restored Face” exhibition.
Syrian government forces retook control of Palmyra in 2017 after the city had served as a stage for public executions, with many of its famed landmarks destroyed by the Daesh group.
Inspired by previous cooperation with Sudan and Afghanistan, the National Museum brought the twenty artefacts from Syria in 2022 and its team of six restorers took a year to repair them.
“There are metal, bronze and iron objects and the funerary portraits from Palmyra,” said Lukes.
The exhibits include a gold-coated pin from 1600-1200 BC, bronze razors and a knife, as well as bronze and copper statuettes of ancient gods.
Prague’s National Museum has been cooperating with Syria’s Directorate General for Antiquities and Museums since 2017.
“We started to help them by supplying material which was indispensable for them to maintain, conserve, transport and treat artefacts mainly from war zones,” said Lukes.
The cooperation led to the creation of a joint archaeological team working near the western Syrian city of Latakia.
After the month-long exhibition, the artefacts will return to Syria by the end of May, Lukes said.
“I hope the situation in Syria has calmed down enough so that they won’t be damaged again,” he told AFP.
“The exhibition is a memento not only of Syria, but of all countries in the world where a war is raging and monuments are being damaged,” Lukes added.


Co-founder of Norway’s Masahat Festival on the challenges of adapting to a new culture 

Co-founder of Norway’s Masahat Festival on the challenges of adapting to a new culture 
Updated 21 September 2023
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Co-founder of Norway’s Masahat Festival on the challenges of adapting to a new culture 

Co-founder of Norway’s Masahat Festival on the challenges of adapting to a new culture 

LONDON: Norway’s Masahat Festival celebrates Arab culture across multiple genres and provides a platform for examining complex issues around history and identity.   

Attendees can listen to the mesmerizing vocals of Iraqi Egyptian Nadin Al-Khalidi, front singer of Tarraband, and participate in thought provoking seminars on topics such as “Pasts That Persist: Perspectives from Iraq and Palestine” and how to reclaim and take ownership of your own history after being written out of it for generations. Egyptian historian, Khaled Fahmy, Edward Keller Professor of North Africa and the Middle East at Tufts University, will speak on the latter subject.

Arab News spoke to Masahat’s Artistic Director Rana Issa to learn more about the aims and impact of the annual festival which she co-founded in 2015.   

Issa arrived in Norway from Lebanon in 2006. She had just completed her masters and proceeded to do her PhD at the University of Oslo. Today, she moves between Norway and Lebanon where she is an Assistant Professor of Translation Studies at the American University of Beirut. 

While her children are immersed in both Norwegian and Arab culture, for her, the experience of adapting to life in Norway has been more challenging.  

‘Once you leave your country you never really feel good again in a way because you become an exile. That never really leaves you. My parents are in Lebanon – my brother is in Dubai, my sister is in New York. That has a lot to do with how I perceive my life here.  

‘If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have decided to leave Lebanon in that way. There’s something about leaving your homeland in haste that is quite traumatic. 

‘When I first came, I felt very lonely and this kind of loneliness I wouldn’t wish   even on my enemies,’ she said. 

In her work with Masahat, she is driven by a desire to help other minorities – not just Arab – to find their feet in their new homeland and to educate her fellow Norwegian citizens about Arab people.  

‘There’s a lot of misconceptions. They don’t, for example, understand that people can be Christian and living in the Middle East, and what they understand by Islam is so simplified and reductive,’ she said.  

Masahat is funded by the municipality of Oslo. “They pay our salaries and we get funding from other public bodies in Norway and have allies across cultural institutions and think tanks,” Issa explained.  

For those attending the festival, which runs from Sept. 21-24, the draw, says Issa, is the outstanding talent. 

‘The thing I love about Arab culture is how sophisticated it is. The reason why Masahat has been so successful in Norway is because the quality of our artists is really special,’ she said.  


Saudi Arabia’s Hia Hub lifestyle conference returns for third edition  

Saudi Arabia’s Hia Hub lifestyle conference returns for third edition  
Updated 21 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia’s Hia Hub lifestyle conference returns for third edition  

Saudi Arabia’s Hia Hub lifestyle conference returns for third edition  

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s fashion and lifestyle conference Hia Hub is set to return for its third edition taking place from Nov. 3-7 in Riyadh’s JAX District.  

Hia Hub will host discussions, masterclasses, workshops, interactive exhibitions and live performances. 

Last year’s edition featured a lineup of 13 talks and panels along with three masterclasses led by leaders in fashion and beauty such as image architect Law Roach, celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips, supermodel and actress Amber Valetta, fashion designer Zac Posen and entrepreneur and digital influencer Karen Wazen.  

For the third edition, Hia Hub is joining forces with the Saudi Fashion Commission’s annual event Fashion Futures to expand the conference’s program.  

“It’s bigger and bolder this year, bringing together some of the regional and global fashion industry’s most accomplished business leaders, designers, celebrities, and icons, alongside leading fashion houses and brands,” said Mike Fairburn, managing director of SRMGx, the creators and organizers of Hia Hub and the experiential arm of SRMG.  

“It is a truly unique 5-day event – a dynamic programme of seminars, talks, workshops, masterclasses, and live performances – that blends the latest trends and perspectives in fashion, art, design, music and contemporary culture,” he added.  

Meanwhile, Burak Çakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission, said: “With the return of Fashion Futures, we are taking another step towards driving the development of Saudi’s fast-emerging fashion industry, unlocking opportunities and supporting our most promising creative talents. We look forward to welcoming some of the best and brightest minds to join us at Hia Hub this November.” 


Review: ‘No One Prayed Over Their Graves’ by Khaled Khalifa is a complex epic

Review: ‘No One Prayed Over Their Graves’ by Khaled Khalifa is a complex epic
Updated 21 September 2023
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Review: ‘No One Prayed Over Their Graves’ by Khaled Khalifa is a complex epic

Review: ‘No One Prayed Over Their Graves’ by Khaled Khalifa is a complex epic

CHICAGO: This epic work from award-winning Syrian novelist Khaled Khalifa, translated into English by Leri Price, spans several decades — from the late 19th century to the 1950s — and explores both friendship and tragedy. 

In 1907, a flood wipes out the village of Hosh Hanna near Aleppo, Syria. The lives of those who survive forever change, especially those of close friends Hanna Gregoros (a Christian) and Zakariya Bayazid (a Muslim whose family took Hanna in as a boy when he fled a massacre). Both young men — until this moment — have lived as if they were invincible. They are now forced to spend the rest of their lives reflecting on a past that has been swept away in one morning.  

Khaled Khalifa is a Syrian novelist. (Supplied)

We are introduced to Hanna and Zakariya at their lowest point: the flood has destroyed their homes, taken their families, and everything of their past, including the generation-long ties they have always relied on. Once wealthy — with land, horses, and a close-knit community of family and friends — Hanna and Zakariya took for granted an Aleppo that was religiously tolerant and thriving. United in their love for each other and their homes, the residents of Hosh Hanna had always helped one another. But the familiar routes are no longer familiar, and life dwindles for the two survivors.  

The narrative shifts timelines regularly, giving us a clear portrait of Hanna and Zakariya’s carefree past and a present beset by challenges, which they attempt to navigate while surviving on memories. They recollect joyous moments, but also lament the times when they were only interested in themselves and their own desires, ignoring all the good things that were in front of them. The flood opens their eyes to their shortcomings, their losses, and to the love they never fully appreciated before it was too late. The lives of Khalifa’s characters are riddled with loss and coping mechanisms.  

The novel delves into the complex layers of Aleppo’s history through stories that are born of revenge, friendship, oppression, love and loyalty. The pair’s relationship, and their adoration for their land, their neighbors and their villages cannot be erased by a flood, by war or by extremism. A similar love for his country comes through in Khalifa’s writing. 


UNESCO adds Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve to World Heritage List  

UNESCO adds Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve to World Heritage List  
Updated 21 September 2023
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UNESCO adds Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve to World Heritage List  

UNESCO adds Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve to World Heritage List  
  • Marks Kingdom’s first location on UNESCO Natural Heritage Site list

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve has officially been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, it was announced on Wednesday.  

This marks the Kingdom’s first UNESCO Natural Heritage Site on the list. 

The decision was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh. (Supplied)

The decision – announced by Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al-Saud, the Saudi minister of culture – was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between Sept. 10-25. 

“The inscription of the Reserve on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the first Natural Heritage Site in the Kingdom contributes to highlighting the importance of natural heritage on a global scale and reflects the outstanding value of the Reserve,” the minister of culture said in a released statement.  

It occupies an area of over 12,750 km2. (SPA)

The Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve is situated along the western edge of Ar-Rub al-Khali, The Empty Quarter. It is making a name for itself with its unique vistas, diverse wildlife and eco-tourism offerings.  

It occupies an area of over 12,750 km2 and is the only major sand desert in tropical Asia and the largest continuous sand sea on Earth.  

It is a showcase of the environmental and biological evolution of flora and fauna in Saudi Arabia and provides vital natural habitats for the survival of more than 120 indigenous plant species, as well as endangered animals living in harsh environments, including gazelles and the only free-ranging herd of Arabian Oryx in the world.  

The inscription of the Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve adds to the six other Saudi UNESCO sites, which are Al-Ahsa Oasis, Al-Hijr Archaeological Site, At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah, Ḥimā Cultural Area, Historic Jeddah, and Rock Art in the Hail Region.

Saudi Arabia's heritage treasures
The five historic sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List tell a story of universal importance
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Oscar-nominated filmmaker Farah Nablusi discusses feature debut ‘The Teacher’ 

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Farah Nablusi discusses feature debut ‘The Teacher’ 
Updated 20 September 2023
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Oscar-nominated filmmaker Farah Nablusi discusses feature debut ‘The Teacher’ 

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Farah Nablusi discusses feature debut ‘The Teacher’ 

TORONTO: Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi’s feature debut “The Teacher” wowed audiences at the recent Toronto International Film Festival.   

The story revolves around the parallel struggles of a Palestinian schoolteacher grieving the loss of his son and an American couple fighting to reclaim their son from kidnappers.  

“This is a story about characters that represent a severely marginalized and underrepresented people,” Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning Nablusi told Arab News.  

“It’s a story that challenges stereotypes and lends some kind of insight into the lives and struggles of those people whose voices are often excluded or misrepresented,” she added.  

“The Teacher” stars renowned Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri, who starred in the Oscar-nominated short “The Present,” also directed by Nabulsi.  

Bakri plays the role of a teacher struggling to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students, Adam.  

“I think Saleh Bakri is one of the best actors in the Arab world,” Nabulsi said. “I think he’s the Daniel Day-Lewis of the Arab world. He has an intensity; he has an emotional intelligence that is fantastic. Whereas Mohamed Abdel Rahman, who’s our Adam, who’s a wonderful newcomer that I will say I’ve discovered, I feel like I have … it’s just that raw talent that you rarely come across.” 

Shot with difficulty in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, the film is based on a true story that offers a tragic yet hopeful insight on the struggles that Palestinians face. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Saleh Bakri (@salehbakriart)

“The story of ‘The Teacher’ is the sort of amalgamation of all these different real-life events that I’ve come across during my travels and trips to Palestine, where I have been talking with numerous Palestinians about so many real-life events that they have experienced firsthand, that take place and inspired the screenplay,” Nabulsi said.  

“There’s always this thing, this reluctance, this idea that if a film is to do with Palestine that maybe, maybe it won’t sit well so well with Western audiences, for example. And on the contrary, the audience seemed to have loved the film,” she added. “I’ve had a lot of reactions and feedback. Some of the critics have written some wonderful stuff.”