Beyond Sushi: Japan Expands Veggie Options to Tempt Tourists 

This photo taken on March 20, 2023 shows a dish of spicy glass noodles on a table at the Vegan Izakaya Masaka restaurant in the Shibuya area of Tokyo. (AFP)
This photo taken on March 20, 2023 shows a dish of spicy glass noodles on a table at the Vegan Izakaya Masaka restaurant in the Shibuya area of Tokyo. (AFP)
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Beyond Sushi: Japan Expands Veggie Options to Tempt Tourists 

This photo taken on March 20, 2023 shows a dish of spicy glass noodles on a table at the Vegan Izakaya Masaka restaurant in the Shibuya area of Tokyo. (AFP)
This photo taken on March 20, 2023 shows a dish of spicy glass noodles on a table at the Vegan Izakaya Masaka restaurant in the Shibuya area of Tokyo. (AFP)

Even on a weekday, there's a queue at Tokyo's vegan Izakaya Masaka, including many tourists eager to try meat-free versions of Japanese classics like fried chicken and juicy dumplings.

While millions of visitors have happily savored Japan's fish- and meat-heavy cuisine, options for vegetarians and vegans are harder to find.

Now, Tokyo and other cities are on a mission to show the country's renowned gastronomy is not off-limits to those who don't eat meat.

Tina Bui, a 36-year-old vegan from San Francisco, said she was very excited to order the signature "karaage" soy fried chicken at Izakaya Masaka.

She said plant-based options were limited in Japan compared to the United States, with just "enough for me to survive" a short trip.

Tokyo's government has held seminars for restaurateurs and dispatched experts to help eateries develop new menu items, introducing alternatives to staple ingredients such as dried fish flakes or pork-bone broth.

Ninna Fujimoto from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government told AFP that the city wants to help accommodate tourists by widening the diversity of food options, including vegetarian cuisine.

The city publishes a specialist restaurant guide, offers subsidies to get businesses certified veggie-friendly, and has two vegetarian and vegan chefs among its "tourism ambassadors".

One of them is Katsumi Kusumoto of Saido, a restaurant that serves vegan versions of common dishes, such as grilled eel made from tofu and vegetables.

"In Tokyo, there are lots of Michelin-starred restaurants, the most in the world. But compared to other cities, Tokyo has extremely few vegan and vegetarian restaurants," he told AFP after a fully-booked lunch service.

Ingredient swaps

Around half of the customers at Saido, which has topped global rankings on the vegan guide app Happy Cow in recent years, are foreign tourists.

It's "sad" so many people are excluded from Tokyo's fine dining scene, said Kusumoto, who posts on social media about vegan cooking and gives demonstrations in his volunteer ambassador role.

Haruko Kawano, founder of the non-profit VegeProject Japan, is also helping Tokyo in its push for a more inclusive cuisine.

"A lot of restaurants think making vegan dishes is very, very difficult," she said.

"In Japan, there are few vegetarians or vegans, (so owners) don't know about them, or what they really want."

Some worry they will need a separate kitchen, or to follow strict rules as for halal or kosher food, Kawano added.

Others are reluctant to stop using core ingredients like dashi fish stock, often added to flavor otherwise vegetarian dishes.

"There are some very good dashi made without animal products," Kawano said.

"If they try, and understand how good it is, they can maybe make very beautiful, delicious Japanese food."

VegeProject was involved in a recent trial to turn the town of Ikaho in the Gunma region into a model for attracting veggie tourists.

Other cities making similar efforts include Sapporo, whose tourism promotion committee is publishing an online video series about vegetarian restaurants and cafes.

Buddhist traditions

Data on vegetarians and vegans in Japan is sparse, with small-scale surveys finding just a small percentage of the population following such diets.

But the concept is not new in the country, where Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, known as "shojin ryori", has been eaten for hundreds of years.

These days it is served mainly at temples and specialist restaurants -- and at a cooking class in Kamakura, a popular seaside day-trip destination near Tokyo.

At the workshop, expert Mari Fujii showed five people from Sweden, Venezuela, India and the United States how to make "kenchinjiru" vegetable soup and several side dishes.

"Vegetarians come and participate, but also people who are interested in and want to know more about the philosophy and background of the food," said Fujii, 72, whose late husband was a Buddhist monk.

Being a vegetarian in Japan remains challenging, despite the efforts made in recent years.

Ashley van Gool, PR manager for Izakaya Masaka, thinks Tokyo can "definitely" become as culinarily diverse as New York, London and other global cities.

"It's already been improving over the past years," she said, with regular restaurants starting to offer one or two veggie dishes.

Customer Laura Schwarzl from Austria paused her vegetarianism to eat meat and fish during her trip to Japan, saying the food is "very special".

The 22-year-old also planned to visit Indonesia and other destinations, where she expected to find more choices.

"As soon as I leave Japan, I'll be vegetarian again," she said.



Saudi Arabia Launches Ambassadors of King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Program

The Architecture and Design Commission
The Architecture and Design Commission
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Saudi Arabia Launches Ambassadors of King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Program

The Architecture and Design Commission
The Architecture and Design Commission

The Architecture and Design Commission has launched the "Ambassadors of the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism" program during a ceremony held at the Saudi National Museum in Riyadh.
In the presence of the Commission's CEO, Sumaya Al-Sulaiman, the names of 16 ambassadors selected based on their experiences and contributions in the architecture sector were announced.
Al-Sulaiman said that the program's launch stems from the commission's commitment to support and empower the architecture and design community and achieve its ambitious vision for the advancement and development of the sector.
The ambassadors expressed their gratitude to the commission for choosing them and stressed their commitment to realizing the vision of the charter, which is to create architectural excellence and improve the quality of life for all people through forming architectural environments that build on cultural and environmental heritage and emulate the future.
The ambassadors' program aims to raise awareness of the charter's methodology within the architecture and design community by highlighting its vision and six core values: authenticity, continuity, human centricity, livability, innovation, and sustainability.
The ambassadors' role will primarily focus on increasing knowledge and promoting the best urban practices included in the charter's methodology.


Ancient 'Power' Palazzo on Rome's Palatine Hill Reopens to Tourists

Visitors admire the newly restored domus Tiberiana, one of the main imperial palaces, during the press preview on Rome's Palatine Hill, in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Visitors admire the newly restored domus Tiberiana, one of the main imperial palaces, during the press preview on Rome's Palatine Hill, in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
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Ancient 'Power' Palazzo on Rome's Palatine Hill Reopens to Tourists

Visitors admire the newly restored domus Tiberiana, one of the main imperial palaces, during the press preview on Rome's Palatine Hill, in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Visitors admire the newly restored domus Tiberiana, one of the main imperial palaces, during the press preview on Rome's Palatine Hill, in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

An ancient Roman imperial palazzo atop the city's Palatine Hill was reopened to tourists on Thursday, nearly 50 years after its closure for restoration.

The nearly 2,000-year-old Domus Tiberiana was home to rulers in the ancient city’s Imperial period. The sprawling palace allows for sweeping views of the Roman Forum below.

The public is now able to tour it, following decades of structural restoration work to shore the palace up for safety reasons. Excavations uncovered artifacts from centuries of Roman life following the decline of the empire.

The director of the Colosseum Archeological Park, which includes the Palatine Hill, in a written description of the restored palazzo, dubbed it “the power palace par excellence.”
On the eve of the reopening, the official, Alfonsina Russo, quoted a first-century Roman poet as saying the sprawling palace seemed “infinite” and that "its grandiosity was just like the grandiosity of the sky.”

Although the domus, or residence, is named after Tiberius, who ruled the empire after the death of Augustus, archaeological studies indicated that the palace's foundations date from the era of Nero, shortly after the fire of 64 A.D that devastated much of the city.

After the demise of the Roman Empire, the residence suffered centuries of abandonment, until when, in the 1500s, the Farnese noble family developed an extensive garden around the ruins.

Thanks to the palazzo's reopening to the public, visitors today can get a better idea of the path ancient emperors and their courts enjoyed en route to the domus.

The English word “palatial” is inspired by the sumptuous imperial residence atop the Palatine, one of ancient Rome's seven hills, The Associated Press reported.

The domus, built on the northwest slope of the hill, is considered to be the first true imperial palace. Besides the emperor's residence, the complex included gardens, places of worship, quarters for the Praetorian Guard that protected the ruler and a service district for workers that overlooked the Roman Forum.

Excavation and restoration work, carried out also during the coronavirus pandemic when for months tourism was at a minimum, helped archeologists piece together what Russo calls centuries of history in a place that “somehow went forgotten.”


AlUla's Dream Comes True as Top Global Tourist Destination

AlUla includes the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra or Al-Hijr, registered as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Kingdom, and the Dadan archaeological site, which contributed to developing and enriching the Arabic language.(SPA)
AlUla includes the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra or Al-Hijr, registered as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Kingdom, and the Dadan archaeological site, which contributed to developing and enriching the Arabic language.(SPA)
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AlUla's Dream Comes True as Top Global Tourist Destination

AlUla includes the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra or Al-Hijr, registered as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Kingdom, and the Dadan archaeological site, which contributed to developing and enriching the Arabic language.(SPA)
AlUla includes the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra or Al-Hijr, registered as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Kingdom, and the Dadan archaeological site, which contributed to developing and enriching the Arabic language.(SPA)

The people of AlUla Governorate, located in the northwest of the Kingdom, have long dreamt of seeing the region as a global tourist hub for worldwide visitors. This dream came true thanks to the support provided by the wise leadership, transforming AlUla into one of the most prominent and important global tourism destinations, as it has witnessed a remarkable tourism boom, according to recent statistics.
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) aims to raise the number of tourists to 2 million visitors by 2035, SPA said.
Hundreds of young men and women work in various fields to promote tourism in this governorate, which still preserves its antiquities and history dating back thousands of years.
It offers outstanding archaeological sites and unique tourist attractions, being one of the largest living museums in the world due to its antiquities, cemeteries, sculptures, and rock formations. It also includes the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra or Al-Hijr, registered as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Kingdom, and the Dadan archaeological site, which contributed to developing and enriching the Arabic language.
The new identity of the 93rd National Day this year, under the slogan "We Dream, and We Achieve," was inspired by Saudi projects that were accomplished and turned from a dream into a reality, including AlUla projects empowered by the efforts of the RCU that aim to strengthen its position as one of the global archaeological, cultural, and natural tourist destinations.
The "AlUla Vision," launched by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman earlier, reflects AlUla's historical status embodied through the essential stages of achieving AlUla's vision, including the "Journey Through Time" plan.
This plan also aims to preserve AlUla as a unique natural and cultural environment that can develop cultural heritage for the world and achieve the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Upon its completion, it will realize an economic return by attracting more tourists and providing multiple job opportunities for local community members, in addition to contributing to the Kingdom's GDP.


Dubai Culture, UAE Falcons Federation Join Hands to Preserve Emirati Heritage

The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority
The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority
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Dubai Culture, UAE Falcons Federation Join Hands to Preserve Emirati Heritage

The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority
The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE Falcons Federation to strengthen collaboration in promoting awareness of Emirati heritage among the public, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Thursday.

Both entities will work together to organize a series of initiatives and activities focused on preserving Emirati heritage and culture, WAM said. This partnership reflects the commitment of both parties to instill a deeper sense of national identity in society and contribute to the preservation and promotion of heritage sports, the news agency added.

The MoU defines the roles of both parties, allowing the UAE Falcons Federation to use facilities at Dubai Culture's museums to organize a range of events, workshops, and activities aimed at introducing visitors and local community members to heritage sports and falconry competitions.

Mansoor Lootah, CEO of the Operations Support Sector at Dubai Culture/Acting Director-General of Dubai Culture, affirmed the importance of partnerships formed with heritage entities in the country, strengthening the role of the authority in motivating the public to explore the elements of Emirati heritage and culture in all its beauty and authenticity.

Lootah said: "Heritage sports are an integral part of our culture and history; they are customs passed on through several generations and still maintain an important role in the Emirati society. Dubai Culture is keen to introduce them by highlighting their artistic aspects, history, and presence in the local scene, contributing to raising awareness of the importance of heritage sports that we cherish."

"Falconry, as a traditional and heritage sport, is closely tied to our culture, history, and national identity. This MoU represents an opportunity to continue introducing this sport, its details, and practices, especially in light of the increasing interest of the younger generation in various technological advancements,” said Secretary-General of the UAE Falcons Federation Rashid bin Markhan.

“This amplifies our responsibility to create innovative solutions and initiatives to instill the importance of heritage sports and their noble values in the hearts of future generations. It also aligns with our joint strategic goals to promote the culture of falconry and familiarize people with its principles."


Fears for Ancient Cyrene after Libya Floods

This picture released on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on September 17, 2023 shows a view of ruins at the site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Cyrene (Shahhat) in eastern Libya, about 60 kilometers west of Derna and 226 kilometers east of Benghazi, in the aftermath of the devastation brought about the previous week by the Mediterranean Storm Daniel. (UGC / AFP)
This picture released on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on September 17, 2023 shows a view of ruins at the site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Cyrene (Shahhat) in eastern Libya, about 60 kilometers west of Derna and 226 kilometers east of Benghazi, in the aftermath of the devastation brought about the previous week by the Mediterranean Storm Daniel. (UGC / AFP)
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Fears for Ancient Cyrene after Libya Floods

This picture released on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on September 17, 2023 shows a view of ruins at the site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Cyrene (Shahhat) in eastern Libya, about 60 kilometers west of Derna and 226 kilometers east of Benghazi, in the aftermath of the devastation brought about the previous week by the Mediterranean Storm Daniel. (UGC / AFP)
This picture released on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on September 17, 2023 shows a view of ruins at the site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Cyrene (Shahhat) in eastern Libya, about 60 kilometers west of Derna and 226 kilometers east of Benghazi, in the aftermath of the devastation brought about the previous week by the Mediterranean Storm Daniel. (UGC / AFP)

Floods that killed thousands in the Libyan city of Derna also inundated one of the country's premier ancient sites, threatening its UNESCO-listed monuments with collapse, a recent visitor and a leading archaeologist said.

The immediate damage to the monuments of Cyrene, which include the second century AD Temple of Zeus, bigger than the Parthenon in Athens, is relatively minor but the water circulating around their foundations threatens future collapses, the head of the French archaeological mission in Libya, Vincent Michel, told AFP.

Settled from the Greek island of Santorini around 600 BC, Cyrene was one of the leading centers of the Classical world for nearly a millennium before being largely abandoned following a major earthquake in 365 AD.

Its name lives on in Cyrenaica, the historical name for eastern Libya.

UNESCO declared its surviving monuments a World Heritage Site in 1982. When the overthrow of longtime ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising ushered in years of conflict and neglect, UNESCO added the site to its World Heritage in Danger list in 2016.

According to Claudia Gazzini, Libya specialist at the International Crisis Group think tank, who recently visited the site, much of it remains waterlogged days after the torrential rains triggered by Storm Daniel on September 10 to 11.

In places, ancient walls have collapsed, blocking the water courses that would normally drain the sprawling site, which also boasts a necropolis outside its walls as large as the city itself.

"There's a street lined by ancient walls that connects the upper and lower levels down which rainwater would normally escape but large boulders have fallen in, blocking the flow," Gazzini told AFP by telephone from Libya's main eastern city of Benghazi.

"On the lower level, there's also dirty water continuously bubbling out of the ground in the middle of the ruins," she said, adding that neither residents of the adjacent village of Shahat nor an official from local antiquities division that she met there, could tell her where it was coming from.

"If water continues to flow in and remains trapped in the site, the retaining wall could collapse, taking with it a large chunk of the ruins," she said.

Foundations weakened

French archaeologist Michel, who knows the site well having worked 10 years in another part of the area, said he had been able to analyze pictures of the monuments taken after the floods.

"For the moment, there's no major destruction at Cyrene -- the monuments are still standing," he said.

"But the torrents of water, earth and rock have created gullies in the ancient streets, particularly the Royal Road, and the main damage is still to come as the water has spread over a wide area and has weakened the foundations of the monuments.

"Since the stone in the region is of poor quality, the monuments risk falling apart due to lack of good foundations," he added.

The adjacent necropolis has been inundated by "hundreds of cubic meters of water which has shifted and submerged some of the tombs," he added.

Michel said he was also concerned about the risks of looting in the aftermath of the floods, which killed more than 3,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

The site in the Jebel al-Ahkdar mountains, inland from the Mediterranean coast, is normally popular with visitors for its panoramic views. But Libyans have more pressing worries after the deadly floods.

Michel said his concerns had been partially allayed by the rapid mobilization of Libya's antiquities department, which had already sought help from the Italian archaeological mission in protecting Cyrene and from the French mission he heads in protecting two nearby sites.

The aim is to "join forces with the local authorities in coordination with UNESCO to raise the main points of weakness in the monuments and record any deterioration," Michel said.

Actions should then be taken to repair the drainage of the site and shore up the monuments' foundations.


UNESCO Puts Rwanda Genocide Memorials on World Heritage List

A picture taken on March 21, 2019 shows the entrance of the Nyamata Genocide Memorial. (AFP)
A picture taken on March 21, 2019 shows the entrance of the Nyamata Genocide Memorial. (AFP)
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UNESCO Puts Rwanda Genocide Memorials on World Heritage List

A picture taken on March 21, 2019 shows the entrance of the Nyamata Genocide Memorial. (AFP)
A picture taken on March 21, 2019 shows the entrance of the Nyamata Genocide Memorial. (AFP)

Four memorials to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda of more than 800,000 people, mainly Tutsi, were added to UNESCO's World Heritage list on Wednesday, the UN cultural body said.

The sites at Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero commemorating the mass killings were "just inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list", the organization posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The four sites commemorate the genocide that targeted the Tutsi minority in large part but also moderate Hutus who were shot, beaten or hacked to death by Hutu extremists between April and July 1994.

"This historic decision will help safeguard memory, counter denial and strengthen genocide prevention efforts globally. #NeverAgain," Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo posted on X.

The UNESCO move was also welcomed by Naphthali Ahishakiye, executive secretary of Ibuka, the association representing survivors of the genocide.

"This will make the genocide that was committed in Rwanda against the Tutsi more known across the world," he told AFP in Kigali.

Skulls, bone fragments, torn clothing and images of piled up corpses confront visitors to the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi, the final resting place of around 250,000 victims.

Each year more are buried as new graves are uncovered around the country, with remains also housed at a former Catholic church at Nyamata, a school complex at Murambi and a memorial at Bisesero built in 1998.

In addition to human remains, the sites also feature material evidence of the 100-day killing spree by Hutu extremist forces -- spears, machetes, clubs and bladed weapons.

Three of the sites were themselves the scene of massacres.

At Nyamata, more than 45,000 people who had sought shelter in the church were slaughtered in one day, according to UNESCO.

Its chapel now houses the clothing and rosaries worn by the victims along with the weapons used by the perpetrators of the killings.

Mass graves are situated behind the church, with a vault that houses the skulls of victims and other human remains, according to the memorial's website.

At Murambi, tens of thousands of people who were encouraged to take refuge in the technical school on the pretext of ensuring their safety were executed in one of the genocide's bloodiest episodes.

At Bisesero, a "resistance memorial" pays tribute to Tutsis who fought back with spears and stones as Hutu extremists murdered hundreds of people in the surrounding hills.

The genocide was unleashed shortly after the ethnic Hutu president was killed when his plane was shot down in an attack blamed by the government on Tutsi rebels.

The killing ended only when the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took over in July 1994, having defeated the Hutu extremists.

Trials of genocide suspects have been held in Rwanda, at a UN tribunal in the Tanzanian city of Arusha, as well as in France, Belgium and the United States among others.


Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve Joins UNESCO World Heritage List

The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. SPA
The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve Joins UNESCO World Heritage List

The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. SPA
The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25. SPA

The Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve in Saudi Arabia has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud said.

Prince Bader is also Chairman of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and Chairman of the Heritage Commission.

The decision to add the reserve to the list was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between September 10 and 25.

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

The minister congratulated Saudi Arabia’s leadership and emphasized commitment to the conservation of natural heritage and the sustainable development of natural heritage.

The commitment highlights the importance of natural heritage and its strategic importance to Saudi Vision 2030, he said.

“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,” Prince Bader said.

Situated along the western edge of ar-Rub al-Khali (The Empty Quarter), Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve 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.

With a world-class panorama of the sands of the Empty Quarter and some of the world’s largest complex linear dunes, Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve embodies outstanding universal value. It is an exceptional 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.

Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve fulfills the World Heritage standards as a sand desert that embodies outstanding universal value and forms a unique and diverse landscape. The reserve contains a range of extensive natural habitats vital to the survival of key species and includes five sub-groups of the Kingdom's national ecosystems, which is vital to maintaining the site's biodiversity.

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.


King Abdulaziz Public Library Celebrates 5th Anniversary at Peking University

FILE- A pedestrian walking through a footbridge is silhouetted as Chinese and Hong Kong flags are strung to mark the 26th anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China in Hong Kong, on June 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)
FILE- A pedestrian walking through a footbridge is silhouetted as Chinese and Hong Kong flags are strung to mark the 26th anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China in Hong Kong, on June 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)
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King Abdulaziz Public Library Celebrates 5th Anniversary at Peking University

FILE- A pedestrian walking through a footbridge is silhouetted as Chinese and Hong Kong flags are strung to mark the 26th anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China in Hong Kong, on June 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)
FILE- A pedestrian walking through a footbridge is silhouetted as Chinese and Hong Kong flags are strung to mark the 26th anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China in Hong Kong, on June 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)

The King Abdulaziz Public Library (KAPL) at Peking University (PU) in China, has launched its scientific and cultural activities on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of its inauguration.

The event was attended on Tuesday by guests from both Saudi Arabia and China, who learned about KAPL’s departments and the services it provides to academics, scholars, researchers, and students.

They also learned about the important cultural programs and events organized by KAPL to promote cultural exchange between Arab and Chinese cultures and enhance scientific and knowledge cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China.

The KAPL at PU made major achievements including the launch of the Arabic-Chinese digital library, the organization of various cultural exhibitions, and the translation of several books to the Chinese language.


UNESCO Adds Tunisia’s Djerba on World Heritage List

This photograph shows the logo of UNESCO during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the organization at its headquarters in Paris, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)
This photograph shows the logo of UNESCO during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the organization at its headquarters in Paris, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)
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UNESCO Adds Tunisia’s Djerba on World Heritage List

This photograph shows the logo of UNESCO during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the organization at its headquarters in Paris, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)
This photograph shows the logo of UNESCO during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the organization at its headquarters in Paris, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added the Tunisian island of Djerba on the list of World Heritage Sites, a move that was welcomed by the Tunisian people.

UNESCO took the decision at its 45th session in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Tunisian Culture Minister Hayat Guettat Guermazi said “the Island of Djerba is a witness on a culture that embraces the world at these historic moments, and sends the humanity inspirational messages hailing differences and diversity as a real revolution. With this decision, the dreams of Djerba, the centerpiece of the Mediterranean, have become true.”

Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Djerba is also known as the “Island of Dreams” and symbolizes coexistence among religions.

It is located 500 kilometers south of the capital, Tunis, and includes the Ghriba Synagogue, the oldest Jewish synagogue in North Africa, dating back to about 2,500 years, and hosting thousands of Jewish pilgrims every year.

The island is also famed for its unique architectural designs, such as the “Housh al-Jerbi” and underground mosques.


Network of Ancient American Indian Earthworks in Ohio Named to List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A calendar marking mound at Fort Ancient Earthworks, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP)
A calendar marking mound at Fort Ancient Earthworks, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP)
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Network of Ancient American Indian Earthworks in Ohio Named to List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A calendar marking mound at Fort Ancient Earthworks, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP)
A calendar marking mound at Fort Ancient Earthworks, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP)

A network of ancient American Indian ceremonial and burial mounds in Ohio described as "part cathedral, part cemetery and part astronomical observatory" was added Tuesday to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Preservationists, led by the Ohio History Connection, and indigenous tribes, many with ancestral ties to the state, pushed to recognize the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks for their good condition, distinct style and cultural significance — describing them as "masterpieces of human genius."

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee approved the application during a meeting in Saudi Arabia. The massive earthworks join a list of famed sites that includes Greece’s Acropolis, Peru’s Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China.

"Pure excitement and exhilaration" were the immediate reactions of Chief Glenna Wallace, of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

"Tears came to my eyes, and exhilaration turned into reflection, knowing that the world will now see and recognize the commitment, spirituality, imaginative artistry and knowledge of complex architecture to produce magnificent earthworks," she said in a statement. "Our ancestors were true geniuses."

Constructed by American Indians between 1,600 and 2,000 years ago along central tributaries of the Ohio River, the earthworks were host to ceremonies that drew people from across the continent, based on archeological discoveries of raw materials brought from as far west as the Rocky Mountains.

Elaborate ceremonialism linked to "the order and rhythms of the cosmos" is evident in the "beautiful ritual objects, spectacular offerings of religious icons and regalia" found at the sites, the application said.

The eight sites comprising the earthworks are spread across 150 kilometers (90 miles) of what is present-day southern Ohio. They are noteworthy for their enormous scale, geometric precision and astronomical breadth and accuracy — such as encoding all eight lunar standstills over an 18.6-year cycle.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said the earthworks' inclusion on the heritage list "will make this important part of American history known around the world."

"Just three months after rejoining UNESCO, the United States has its twenty-fifth site inscribed on the World Heritage List, which illustrates the richness and diversity of the country’s cultural and natural heritage," she said. "This inscription on the World Heritage List highlights the important work of American archaeologists, who discovered here remains dating back 2000 years, constituting one of the largest earthwork constructions in the world."

The National Congress of American Indians, the Inter-Tribal Council representing tribes living in Northeast Oklahoma and the Seneca Nation of New York State were among tribes that supported the UNESCO designation.

The application process for the heritage designation was slowed by a protracted court battle to restore public access to a portion of the land that had been leased to Moundbuilders Country Club for a golf course. A ruling of the Ohio Supreme Court in December allowed Ohio History Connection, the state's historical society, to proceed with efforts to gain control of the Octagon Earthworks in Newark, one of eight sites recognized.

History Connection CEO and Executive Director Megan Wood said that Tuesday's inscription of the site was the culmination of more than a decade of work by her organization and its partners, including tribes and the National Park Service.

"We are beyond excited to share these sites with more and more Ohioans, Americans and world travelers," she said.

Other sites included under the new designation are: Fort Ancient Earthworks in Oregonia and Great Circle Earthworks in Heath; and five sites within the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe — Mound City Group, Hopewell Mound Group, Seip Earthworks, High Bank Earthworks and Hopeton Earthworks.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he anticipates that Ohio's first World Heritage site will draw "even more visitors to see these amazing places" to "experience the awe-inspiring earthworks that are such a special part of Ohio's history."