Under the patronage of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Heritage Commission, the activities of the "Saudi International Handicrafts Week" organized by the Heritage Commission were launched on Tuesday. They will last until June 12, state news agency SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, has concluded an official visit to Germany, on June 5. The trip aimed at reinforcing cultural relations and exploring areas of cooperation between the two countries. During the visit, Prince Bader met with Claudia Roth, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, and Andreas Goergen, Secretary General for the Federal Ministry of Culture and Media, where they explored areas of cooperation and opportunities for cultural exchange.
A 13th century mosque that fell into disrepair after being used over the years as a soap factory, a slaughterhouse and a fort reopened in Cairo on Monday after undergoing a long restoration. The mosque of Al-Zhahir Baybars, built under Mamluk rule in 1268, spans an area of three acres just north of central Cairo, making it Egypt's third-largest mosque. The mosque underwent mechanical and chemical restoration to bring it back to its original condition, said Tarek Mohamed El-Behairy, who supervised the restoration.
The blockbuster exhibition of paintings by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer closed its doors for the final time on Sunday, with the art and history national museum of the Netherlands hailing the show as its most successful ever. The Rijksmuseum said the exhibition that drew on collections around the world to bring together 28 of the 37 paintings generally ascribed to Vermeer attracted 650,000 visitors from 113 countries during its 16-week run that started in early February.
Saudi Arabia was named the guest of honor at the Doha International Book Fair 2023 in Qatar. The 32nd edition of the fair, under the slogan “With Reading We Rise”, will take place on June 12-21, the Saudi Press Agency reported Sunday. Saudi Arabia will showcase the most prominent publications, cultural pieces, and archaeological finds from the Kingdom, SPA said. Artifacts, live performances and educational films about the country’s rich cultural history and its connection with neighboring civilizations will be on display at the fair, it added.