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Under Saudi Heritage Authority’s Microscope: Exploring Historical Souq Thul-Majaz

The Saudi Heritage Authority sheds light on the historical site of Souq Thul-Majaz (Heritage Authority)
The Saudi Heritage Authority sheds light on the historical site of Souq Thul-Majaz (Heritage Authority)
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Under Saudi Heritage Authority’s Microscope: Exploring Historical Souq Thul-Majaz

The Saudi Heritage Authority sheds light on the historical site of Souq Thul-Majaz (Heritage Authority)
The Saudi Heritage Authority sheds light on the historical site of Souq Thul-Majaz (Heritage Authority)

The Saudi Heritage Authority has shed light on the historical site of Souq Thul-Majaz, one of the most renowned pre-Islamic Arab markets.

The Authority's survey and excavation team successfully completed their inaugural season, aimed at uncovering the site’s archaeological treasures, unearthing findings, and revealing architectural remnants that bear witness to the market’s historical and cultural significance.

This bustling market was once frequented by Arabs and Muslims during the early days of Islam before they embarked on the annual Hajj pilgrimage season.

The Authority, in collaboration with a group of Saudi experts, has successfully concluded the first season of archaeological survey and excavation at the site of the market in the holy city of Makkah.

The endeavor aimed to unearth scientific and historical evidence related to the location as part of the Authority's efforts to explore national heritage sites, preserve their historical significance, and promote awareness about them.

Additionally, the initiative seeks to utilize these sites as valuable cultural and economic resources, enriching the experiences of both citizens and visitors to the holy city.

Saudi Arabia, with its vast geographical expanse and pivotal role in the region’s history, is home to numerous historical sites that have embraced the heritage and epics of Arab communities, nationalities, and neighboring cultures over the ages.

Among these renowned sites are the ancient markets that have flourished since pre-Islamic times, through the early Islamic eras, where societies gathered in their shops and stalls.

Notably, the markets of Okaz, Majnah, and Thul-Majaz stand out, known as the pilgrimage markets since they took place during the pilgrimage months.

These markets served as hubs for trade and commerce and witnessed the exchange of poetry, literature, and diverse intellectual endeavors.

Located in Wadi Al-Mughmas, Souq Thul-Majaz lies about 20 kilometers to the east of the city of Makkah. This market holds historical, cultural, and archaeological significance, being one of the renowned Arabian markets in the Arabian Peninsula from pre-Islamic times until the early Islamic era.

Souq Thul-Majaz was linked to overland trade routes through which Arabs and merchants from various regions arrived in Makkah.

On the other hand, it was connected to the historic port of Al-Shuaiba on the Red Sea coast, south of Jeddah.

The prominence of Souq Thul-Majaz continued to endure even beyond the year 129 AH in the Islamic calendar year.

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Culture

Red Sea Film Foundation Concludes Participation in 12th Saudi Film Festival

The Red Sea Fund presented four awards within the Production Market at the Saudi Film Festival - SPA
The Red Sea Fund presented four awards within the Production Market at the Saudi Film Festival - SPA
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Red Sea Film Foundation Concludes Participation in 12th Saudi Film Festival

The Red Sea Fund presented four awards within the Production Market at the Saudi Film Festival - SPA
The Red Sea Fund presented four awards within the Production Market at the Saudi Film Festival - SPA

The Red Sea Film Foundation won four awards for the three films supported by the Red Sea Fund during its participation in the 12th Saudi Film Festival, held at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran.

Hijra won the Golden Palm for Best Narrative Feature Film, while Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream won the Golden Palm for Best GCC Feature Film. A Matter of Life and Death received a Jury Special Mention, while Sarah Taibah won the Golden Palm for Best Acting for her role in the film, SPA reported.

These awards reflect the presence of Red Sea Fund-supported films in the Saudi and regional film landscape and underscore the impact of the fund’s support for film projects at various stages, through to their screening before audiences and participation in festivals.

The Red Sea Fund presented four awards within the Production Market at the Saudi Film Festival. The short-film awards went to the projects Shareet and Bin Jalmoud, while the feature-film awards went to From Zero to a Thousand and Between the Two, directed by Malak Quota.

The Red Sea Film Foundation’s participation in the Saudi Film Festival comes as part of its ongoing cooperation with local film events and its support for Saudi and Arab talent and projects through its various programs and initiatives, foremost of which are the Red Sea Fund, Red Sea Souk, and Red Sea Labs.

Culture

UK Museums at 'Sharp End' of Climate Change Challenge

Tannis Davidson, Head of Zoology and Science collections at the Grant Museum of Zoology in London, holds a device displaying the temperature inside the display cases in the museum, in central London on June 26, 2026. (Photo by CARLOS JASSO / AFP)
Tannis Davidson, Head of Zoology and Science collections at the Grant Museum of Zoology in London, holds a device displaying the temperature inside the display cases in the museum, in central London on June 26, 2026. (Photo by CARLOS JASSO / AFP)
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UK Museums at 'Sharp End' of Climate Change Challenge

Tannis Davidson, Head of Zoology and Science collections at the Grant Museum of Zoology in London, holds a device displaying the temperature inside the display cases in the museum, in central London on June 26, 2026. (Photo by CARLOS JASSO / AFP)
Tannis Davidson, Head of Zoology and Science collections at the Grant Museum of Zoology in London, holds a device displaying the temperature inside the display cases in the museum, in central London on June 26, 2026. (Photo by CARLOS JASSO / AFP)

As visitors peered at skeletons and preserved animals in a London zoological museum during a UK heatwave, staff focused on a different attraction: a computer screen glowing with red and green temperature indicators.

With each one linked to a sensor in a different display case, the system allows staff to see when an exhibit is in danger of overheating.

Last year during a hot spell, staff arrived one morning to find an antique specimen jar -- containing a nearly two-centuries-old tabby cat -- had "blown out" amid the heat.

By monitoring temperatures in the display cases, staff at the Grant Museum of Zoology hope they can prevent damage to other exhibits by identifying any needing to be preventively decanted.

"They are very precious and valuable to us," said Tannis Davidson, head of zoology at the 200-year-old collection home to some 100,000 specimens covering every major animal group.

"We want to safeguard them for the next 200 years at least so students and researchers and members of public can enjoy the collection and learn more about the natural world," she told AFP.

But she said curators were having to deal with a whole "new set of challenges due to climate change and extended long periods of high temperatures within our spaces".

Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the independent National Heat Risk Commission, says the impact of climate change is no longer a distant threat but a present-day reality with the cultural sector at the "sharp end".

Last month's UK heatwave forced the closure of a number of London cultural attractions including the Young Victoria & Albert (V&A) museum, The Cutty Sark museum ship, Tower Bridge and some galleries at the V&A.

And the Met Office said Monday that the UK was entering its third heatwave of the year, although it was not expected to break any records.

Art works also require careful monitoring of temperature and humidity levels to prevent damage, according to Claire Teasdale of the National Trust heritage body.

"We're having more storms. We're having more wet weather and more extreme weather which is affecting everything," said Teasdale who manages the collections at Cragside, a 19th century mansion in northeastern Northumberland.

Cragside is home to an important art collection that includes works by J.M.W. Turner and John Everett Millais.

It was built to cope with "Victorian rainfall levels and not with 21st century rainfall levels," she said, adding rain and sunshine both hiked levels of potentially damaging humidity.

Six of the UK's 10 wettest years have occurred since 1998, the Met Office says.
Flooding poses another threat to cultural treasures.

The Museum of Making in the central city of Derby suffered major flooding in October 2023 during Storm Babet.

None of the industrial heritage museum's collections were damaged, but the cost of damage to the building was estimated at over £100,000 and the museum closed for nearly three months.

"Heat waves often end with flash flooding because of intense rainfall," added Howard Boyd who chaired a 2024 review of London's preparedness for more extreme weather commissioned by mayor Sadiq Khan.

John Calautit, lecturer in sustainable and low carbon technologies at University College London, said installing air conditioning was not a silver bullet for large spaces and historic buildings often subject to highly restrictive building regulations.

But he said experts were developing alternatives to provide ventilation and cooling based on the "windcatcher" principles used for centuries in architecture.

It is "a ventilation system which is attached to the roof which can capture air at higher altitude. It brings air flow into the space at higher volume ... and extracts air out of the space," he told AFP.

Modern-day systems incorporated some form of low energy cooling and had already been commercially produced and used in Middle Eastern countries, he said.

Howard Boyd argues museums and historic properties need to explore all options for climate resilience.

She envisages a future in which venues become community hubs offering people a refuge from the heat.

A joint UK-wide initiative launched last month by organizations including the British Film Institute highlights venues where people can find local spaces to keep cool.

Culture

British Town to Open its 250-Year-Old Underground Tunnels to Public

The glassworks tunnels have never before been open to the public. (Stourbridge Glass Museum)
The glassworks tunnels have never before been open to the public. (Stourbridge Glass Museum)
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British Town to Open its 250-Year-Old Underground Tunnels to Public

The glassworks tunnels have never before been open to the public. (Stourbridge Glass Museum)
The glassworks tunnels have never before been open to the public. (Stourbridge Glass Museum)

A West Midlands glassmaking museum is set to open its 250-year-old underground tunnels to the public for the first time.

Stourbridge Glass Museum has unveiled a major new project that will transform its historic tunnel network into an immersive, family-friendly visitor experience, according to the Independent.

Visitors can expect VR and project mapping technology bringing local glassmaking heritage to life.

The tunnels were once used by generations of glassworkers in the local area to store materials and to control temperatures during the production of their fragile products.

The new experience hopes to attract more visitors to the area, giving a boost to the local economy through hotel stays and spending in other local businesses.

The mayor of Dudley, Pete Lowe, praised the new project, using the Black Country phrase “Bostin’” in response to the news.

Museum director Alexander Goodger said: “This is just one part of our new phase of capital development designed to boost the site for locals, expand the offer, give it a wider appeal and bring in tourists to the area who then go on to stay in hotels and eat in restaurants, regenerating the area.”

He added: “We want to bring in investment for the Black Country’s heritage. We have an incredible and unique history."

“Before opening the tunnels to the public, the museum will undertake essential improvements to health and safety, signage, public access, and lighting, ensuring a safe and free‑flowing visitor experience,” he added.

In exact date for the opening of the tunnels has not yet been announced.

Stourbridge Glass Museum currently has exhibitions showcasing 400 years of glassmaking in the town, depicting work within a “glass cone,” which is a towering brick structure with a furnace in the middle where workers would shape and blow the molten glass in the hot environment while letting gas escape from the top.