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Culture Ministry Showcases Saudi Distinctive Civilization, Heritage

SPA
SPA
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Culture Ministry Showcases Saudi Distinctive Civilization, Heritage

SPA
SPA

In a collaborative effort with the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA), the Saudi Press Agency presented a cultural bulletin, titled "Saudi Arabia's Unique Civilization and Heritage Promoted by Culture Ministry," to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the significant role played by the Culture Ministry in preserving and promoting the nation's distinctive civilization.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a rich, authentic, culture and civilization that has shaped the morals and customs of its people. The country's great heritage, ancient traditions, cultural treasures and spectacularly diverse landscape -- from golden deserts to seas rich in pearls, green fields and exotic canyons -- have informed and shaped its culture, art, literature, thought and sciences, and have also been its citizens' reason to be proud," SPA reported.

In June 2018, a Royal Decree established the Ministry of Culture as an independent entity, led by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud. The ministry's vision focuses on preserving the Kingdom's historical heritage and leveraging it to foster a thriving culture that contributes to lifestyle, economic growth, and elevates Saudi Arabia's international standing.

According to SPA, the Ministry aims to contribute around 3% to the GDP by 2030 by harnessing cultural potentials. This includes promoting culture among citizens as an integral part of their daily lives, conducting educational programs and training workshops, establishing institutes, implementing empowering initiatives, and organizing diverse cultural activities and festivals that preserve the country's authentic identity.

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Trove of Artifacts Recovered from Black Market Goes on Display in Naples

A view of Naples, Italy. (AFP/Getty Images)
A view of Naples, Italy. (AFP/Getty Images)
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Trove of Artifacts Recovered from Black Market Goes on Display in Naples

A view of Naples, Italy. (AFP/Getty Images)
A view of Naples, Italy. (AFP/Getty Images)

Hundreds of once-missing artifacts, hunted down over decades by a special police unit, have been unveiled for the first time in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, in southern Italy.

In its vaults, the museum preserves 15,000 artifacts seized or confiscated from the black market over the years by a police unit focused on the protection of cultural heritage. It is the loot of raiders who for decades have targeted sites from classical antiquity in southern Italy, such as Pompeii and Herculaneum. Some even used underwater metal detectors, GPS, sonar and drones to extract treasures from the shipwrecks and archaeological sites submerged in the Mediterranean Sea.

From its repository, the museum selected 600 pieces to display for visitors. Among them is a statue that had been in an apartment building's courtyard since the early 20th century until its theft in the 1980s, and which was found in 2009.

There are artifacts from Pompeii that a French archaeologist bought from a local farmer in the 1990s for 50,000 lire (about $28 today). There are also ancient ceramics, coins, bronzes, marbles, pottery, furnishings, weapons and armor dating from the Archaic Period (approximately 650 to 480 BC) to the Middle Ages.

“It is a beautiful exhibition that tells a beautiful story, a story also of redemption for our stolen archaeological artifacts, which often find their way into private property or even international museums,” Massimo Osanna, the head of national museums at Italy’s culture ministry, who helped curate the exhibition, said in an interview. “Thanks to the work of the public prosecutor’s office and the police, together with the ministry, (these artifacts) are finally coming home and to light.”

In 2023, the latest year for which there are complete records, the police unit recovered over 100,000 artifacts which it estimates are worth a total 264 million euros ($299 million).