Maintaining historical sites is on all of us
We are extraordinarily blessed to have much more than our fair share of fascinating historical sites here in Saudi Arabia. The history of this land goes back almost as far as the history of human civilization itself. As a result, our country is home to archaeological sites of ancient settlements dating back at 6000 years. When we add to that the fact that the sacred places related to the very beginnings of our Muslim faith are here as well, in Makkah and Madinah, it becomes apparent that the historical and the sacred are constantly with us, enriching our lives.
There are really two types of people — those who are naturally fascinated by the things of the past, and those who are largely indifferent to them. For the former group, the possibility of drawing back the veil of time to glimpse how people lived long ago is irresistible. The sense of the past contextualizes their present. For others, though, the inherent appeal of delving into the past is much less apparent. These are the folks who, were the possibility of traveling in time ever to present itself, would choose to go to the future rather than the past, wanting to see where human progress will take us rather than where we have been. The division between these two groups of people seems to be profound enough to suggest a temperamental difference, rather than one based on upbringing or education.
And if that is the case, then it’s equally evident that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to be with regard to our level of interest in history. Society needs both people who instinctively look forward, and those who are always looking back. However, personal interest and preference does not absolve any of us of the responsibility of identifying and protecting our wealth of historical monuments, in part because of the simple fact that they are utterly irreplaceable. Once demolished or buried in the path of progress, they are gone forever and will have nothing more to teach us.
According to Mohammed Al-Ruwaished, deputy minister of Education for Antiquities and Museums of Saudi Arabia’s 100,000 historical sites, only 3,700 sites have been registered and protected. Further measures must be taken to protect historical sites, and not only the sacred religious sites so intrinsically associated with our faith. There has been a tendency to concentrate on these and ignore the destruction of lesser-known secular monuments that may pre-date Islam. Regardless of our level of intrinsic interest, we must recognize that these sites contain a wealth of information, sometimes largely untapped, that cannot be obtained from any other source. Maintaining our wealth of sites is a heavy responsibility, and one that may sometimes feel inconvenient or arduous, nevertheless it is our duty to take the best possible care of them for future generations, and to urge our public officials of their own responsibility to do so.
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