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Celebrated Syrian Author Khaled Khalifa Dead at 59

Writer Khaled Khalifa speaks during an interview with AFP at his home in the Syrian capital Damascus on June 2, 2020. (AFP)
Writer Khaled Khalifa speaks during an interview with AFP at his home in the Syrian capital Damascus on June 2, 2020. (AFP)
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Celebrated Syrian Author Khaled Khalifa Dead at 59

Writer Khaled Khalifa speaks during an interview with AFP at his home in the Syrian capital Damascus on June 2, 2020. (AFP)
Writer Khaled Khalifa speaks during an interview with AFP at his home in the Syrian capital Damascus on June 2, 2020. (AFP)

Syrian writer and veteran government critic Khaled Khalifa has died of cardiac arrest at the age of 59 at his home in Damascus, a close friend told AFP.

Khalifa, who hailed from Maryamin in northwestern Aleppo province, was celebrated for his novels, television screenplays and newspaper columns, and honored with several of the Arab world's top literary awards.

He "died in his home alone in Damascus" on Saturday, said journalist Yaroub Aleesa, who had spent time with the author during his final days. "We called him repeatedly and he didn't respond. When we went to his home, we found him dead on the sofa."

Doctors at the Abbassiyyin Hospital in Damascus said the cause of death was a heart attack.

Khalifa gained fame as a writer of several popular Syrian TV series in the early 1990s.

He was known as a staunch opponent of the ruling Baath party and his columns criticizing the authorities.

But despite his well-known stance, he chose to remain in the country after the 2011 civil war broke out with the repression of protests against the government.

"I am staying because this is my country," he said in a 2019 interview. "I was born here, I live here and I want to die here!"

His 2006 novel "In Praise of Hatred" was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arab Fiction -- often dubbed the Arab Booker prize -- and was translated into six languages.

The novel recounts the story of a young Syrian woman from Aleppo who escapes her sequestered life by joining an extremist organization.

In 2013, his novel "No Knives in the Kitchens of this City" won the Naguib Mahfouz literature prize, Egypt's top accolade for writers.

It focuses on the lives of Syrians under the rule of the Baath party headed by President Bashar al-Assad.

The writer's death sparked a wave of condolences on social media from fellow writers and members of Syria's exiled opposition.

"Goodbye, you kind man," wrote Syrian writer and academic Salam Kawakibi.

Khalifa was expected to be buried later on Sunday in Damascus, though details of the funeral had yet to be disclosed.

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Culture

British PM Fuels Diplomatic Dispute with Greece over Parthenon Sculptures

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak departs Downing Street in London, Britain, 29 November 2023. (EPA)
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak departs Downing Street in London, Britain, 29 November 2023. (EPA)
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British PM Fuels Diplomatic Dispute with Greece over Parthenon Sculptures

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak departs Downing Street in London, Britain, 29 November 2023. (EPA)
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak departs Downing Street in London, Britain, 29 November 2023. (EPA)

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fueled a diplomatic row with Athens on Wednesday by accusing his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis of "grandstanding" during a recent trip to London over ownership of the Parthenon sculptures.

Sunak told parliament he had cancelled a planned meeting with Mitsotakis in London on Tuesday after the Greek premier broke a promise not to use his trip as an opportunity to advocate for the return of the sculptures, known in Britain as the Elgin Marbles, from the British Museum.

In his first public comments, Sunak said: "It was clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss substantive issues for the future, but rather to grandstand and relitigate issues of the past."

Responding to Sunak's comments, a senior Greek government official said: "In the spirit of the good longstanding relations between the two countries, which we intend to preserve, we have nothing more to add on this matter."

Sunak cancelled the meeting after Mitsotakis discussed the issue during an interview for the BBC at the weekend. The cancellation prompted an angry response from Mitsotakis, and Greek government officials said it was disrespectful.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mitsotakis appeared ready to tone down the rhetoric, calling the cancellation of the meeting an "unfortunate event".

"I believe the move will not hurt relations between Greece and Britain in the longer term," he told Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, adding that Athens' demand for the reunification of the Parthenon sculptures had got more publicity than expected due to the turmoil.

Long-running dispute

Athens has repeatedly called on the British Museum to permanently return the 2,500-year-old sculptures that British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in 1806, during a period when Greece was under Ottoman Turkish rule.

About half of the 160-metre frieze that adorned the Parthenon in Athens is in the British Museum, while 50 meters of the carvings are in the Acropolis museum in Greece.

During the BBC interview on Sunday, Mitsotakis compared the separation of the sculptures to cutting the Mona Lisa in half, a characterization rejected by the British government. Greek officials said Mitsotakis had only reiterated his country's longstanding stance.

Sunak's Conservatives, who have been in power for the last 13 years, are trailing the opposition Labour Party by around 20 points in opinion polls ahead of a national election expected next year.

On Wednesday, Labour leader Keir Starmer accused Sunak of trying to "hide his failures" by manufacturing a row over the sculptures and trying to humiliate Mitsotakis.

Greece has said it would be willing to loan antiquities to the British Museum in return for being able to temporarily exhibit the Parthenon sculptures in Athens and that such a deal would not alter its long-standing demand for their permanent return.

The British Museum has said it would consider a loan to Greece only if it acknowledges the museum's ownership of the sculptures, something Greek governments have refused.

But in January the museum called for a new Parthenon Partnership with Greece.

"Discussions with Greece about a Parthenon Partnership are on-going and constructive," said a British Museum spokesperson.

"We believe that this kind of long-term partnership would strike the right balance between sharing our greatest objects with audiences around the world, and maintaining the integrity of the incredible collection we hold at the museum."

Culture

The Parthenon Sculptures at Center of Row Between Britain, Greece 

An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
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The Parthenon Sculptures at Center of Row Between Britain, Greece 

An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has cancelled a planned meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis due to a diplomatic row over the status of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon sculptures housed at the British Museum.

Greece has repeatedly asked for their permanent return to Athens, while Britain and the museum have refused to do so.

WHY THEY ARE IN BRITAIN?

The sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles in Britain, include part of a frieze, relief panels and other figures that were removed from the Parthenon in the early 19th century by Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin and then-British ambassador to the Ottoman empire.

They were transported to Britain and bought by the British Museum in 1816 and are exhibited as a prized part of its collection in London.

WHAT ARE THEY?

The sculptures at the British Museum make up about half of a 160-metre frieze which adorned the Parthenon temple on the rocky Acropolis hill in Athens. The collection includes 15 sculpted relief panels and figures of gods and heroes from the temple's pediments.

They are original parts of the temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, completed in 432 BC as the crowning glory of Athens' Golden Age.

The largest temple on the Acropolis, the Parthenon has operated as an archaeological site since 1833, surviving wars and natural disasters to become the symbol of modern Greece.

ATHENS' CAMPAIGN FOR THEIR RETURN

While Athens has called for the permanent return of the treasures since its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832 and accused Elgin of theft, the campaign garnered more attention in the 1980s.

Greek Oscar-nominated actress Melina Mercouri, a vocal supporter of the arts, launched an official campaign for their return when she was culture minister in 1981-1989.

Athens has further stepped up its efforts since it opened a museum in 2009 at the foot of the Acropolis, which holds the sculptures that remain in Greece. With a view of the Parthenon, the layout of the top floor of the museum mimics the temple.

In September 2019, Mitsotakis suggested Athens would be willing to loan antiquities to the British Museum in return for being able to temporarily exhibit them. Greece said the proposal did not alter its long-standing demand for their permanent return.

In December 2022, Greece said it was in talks with Britain over the repatriation of the sculptures to Athens, but a deal was not imminent.

BRITISH MUSEUM'S STANCE

The British Museum, custodian of the sculptures, has refused to return them, saying they were acquired by Elgin under a legal contract with the Ottoman Empire that then ruled Greece.

The trustees of the museum say the public would benefit more from having the sculptures divided between two museums, that bringing them back together into a unified whole is impossible as some parts were lost or destroyed, and that the sculptures could not be safely returned.

The trustees have said they would consider a loan to Greece if Greece acknowledges the British Museum's ownership of the sculptures, which Greek governments have refused in the past. The British Museum in January 2023 called for a new Parthenon Partnership with Greece and said discussions were ongoing.

OTHER RETURNS

In January 2022, a museum in Italy loaned Athens the so-called "Fagan" fragment, depicting the foot of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis. It later said the fragment - part of the temple's eastern frieze - could stay in Greece.

In December, Pope Francis returned to Greece three pieces of the Parthenon that had been in the papal collections of the Vatican Museums for more than a century.

Culture

In Row Over Parthenon Sculptures, Greece Says Britain Showing ‘Lack of Respect' 

A photograph shows the Parthenon Temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in Athens on November 28, 2023. (AFP)
A photograph shows the Parthenon Temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in Athens on November 28, 2023. (AFP)
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In Row Over Parthenon Sculptures, Greece Says Britain Showing ‘Lack of Respect' 

A photograph shows the Parthenon Temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in Athens on November 28, 2023. (AFP)
A photograph shows the Parthenon Temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in Athens on November 28, 2023. (AFP)

Greece's government on Tuesday accused Britain of showing "a lack of respect" by abruptly cancelling a meeting between their leaders at short notice in a dispute over ancient Greek sculptures brought to Britain in the early 19th century.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled a planned wide-ranging meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis after the latter raised the decades-old demand for the return of the Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum.

"This is not common, we are trying to find a precedent and we can't," said Pavlos Marinakis, a spokesman for the Greek government. "It shows a lack of respect to the prime minister but also to the country he represents."

Greece has repeatedly asked the British Museum to permanently return the 2,500-year-old sculptures that British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in the early 19th century when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

About half the surviving marble works are in London, and the rest in a museum under the Acropolis in Athens.

Appearing on the BBC over the weekend, Mitsotakis compared the separation of the sculptures to cutting the Mona Lisa in half, a characterization rejected by British government.

Marinakis said the planned talks between the two leaders were meant to have been on global issues, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, migration and the climate crisis.

Sunak's decision to cancel the meeting was also criticized by some British opposition parties and a campaign group backed by British politicians from different parties who want to resolve the issue.

The group, the Parthenon Project, has proposed a deal that would see the sculptures reunified in Athens - without Britain and Greece needing to agree on who owns them.

Ed Vaizey, a former Conservative culture minister who advises the group, said that Sunak's action was a "plot twist" given Britain's previous stance that resolving the issue was a matter for the British Museum itself.

"The prime minister has put himself at the front and center of row that he didn't really need to put himself at the front and center of," Vaizey told Sky News.

"I don't think the prime minister needed really to intervene in this way and it hasn't particularly helped our relationships with Greece."

Sunak's office on Monday said Britain's relationship with Greece was "hugely important" and that the two countries needed to work together on global challenges.

Culture

Royal Commission for AlUla, France’s Center Pompidou Sign Cultural Cooperation Agreement

The program aims to expand cultural cooperation in preparation for the establishment of the contemporary art museum in AlUla by 2027 - SPA
The program aims to expand cultural cooperation in preparation for the establishment of the contemporary art museum in AlUla by 2027 - SPA
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Royal Commission for AlUla, France’s Center Pompidou Sign Cultural Cooperation Agreement

The program aims to expand cultural cooperation in preparation for the establishment of the contemporary art museum in AlUla by 2027 - SPA
The program aims to expand cultural cooperation in preparation for the establishment of the contemporary art museum in AlUla by 2027 - SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) signed a partnership program agreement with France’s Center Pompidou.
The program aims to expand cultural cooperation in preparation for the establishment of the contemporary art museum in AlUla by 2027, SPA reported.
The new executive program agreement is based on the principles of a long-term partnership, focusing on the exchange of expertise, skills transfer, and building a comprehensive cooperation strategy to enhance and preserve arts, culture, science, and heritage for mutual benefit.
The program provides an opportunity to develop cultural cooperation between the RCU and Center Pompidou, establishing a framework for priorities, new proposals, and collaborative activities in the coming years.
Through a defined technical and organizational strategy, the program enables the exchange, acquisition, lending, and exhibition of artworks and handicrafts between the RCU and the French center. It also promotes various scientific and cultural initiatives that rely on the participation of unique shared elements.
The new program complements the agreement signed between the RCU and Center Pompidou last March, which aimed to develop the contemporary art museum in AlUla over several stages, leading to its planned opening in 2027.
The RCU has made great strides in its plan to establish the new museum, including the appointment of Lina Ghotmeh as the lead architect for the museum’s design.

Culture

Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Launches the 'Confluence of Saudi-Korean Culture' Show

The show takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh - SPA  
The show takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh - SPA  
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Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Launches the 'Confluence of Saudi-Korean Culture' Show

The show takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh - SPA  
The show takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh - SPA  

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, in partnership with the Korean National University of Arts, launched on Monday the “Confluence of Saudi-Korean Culture” show.
The show, the first of its kind in the Kingdom, takes place at the Red Hall of the Princess Noura University Theater in Riyadh and will run for three days, SPA reported.
The show provides attendees with the opportunity to delve into the richness of Saudi and Korean arts. It features a range of combined theatrical and performance shows, highlighting five Saudi performing arts alongside five Korean counterparts.
This presentation aims to deepen the cultural and artistic understanding of both sides.
The event concludes with an integrated performing art that combines steps and rhythms derived from both cultures. Additionally, there is an accompanying art exhibition featuring traditional arts in various fields such as metals, pottery, wooden crafts, and hand embroidery.
These artistic works narrate the story of the confluence between art and artists.
Visitors of the show will watch 50 performers from Saudi Arabia and South Korea, including artists from the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts and the Korean National University of Arts. The Saudi part of the theatrical show reflects the cultural diversity of the Kingdom by showcasing various arts such as Al-Samri, Al-Daha, Al-Liwa, Al-Khatwa, and Al-Khabiti.
This cultural event offers a unique journey blending heritage and modernity in an exceptional artistic experience, with the presence of prominent leaders in the cultural sector who will provide their full support to this pioneering initiative.
The CEO of the Royal Institute, Dr. Suzanne Al-Yahya, indicated that the show enhances the artistic movement and promotes global cultural exchange with the Kingdom.
Dr. Al-Yahya added that it serves as a meeting point for traditional arts from different countries on both local and global scales, while also elevating awareness of traditional arts and disseminating them locally and internationally.

Culture

Greece PM Laments Lack of Progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures

An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
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Greece PM Laments Lack of Progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures

An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)

Talks over a possible return of the British Museum's Parthenon Sculptures to Athens are not advancing quickly enough, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday as he prepared to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week.

Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 meters of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece.

"We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. "I'm a patient man, and we've waited for hundreds of years, and I will persist in these discussions.

"We feel that the sculptures belong to Greece and that they were essentially stolen," Mitsotakis added before playing down the ownership aspect of the discussions and focusing instead on the importance of reuniting the sculptures with those in Athens.

British officials say the works were acquired legally.

Sunak in March ruled out any change to a law that stops the British Museum handing the marbles back to Greece permanently, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan.

George Osborne, a former British finance minister who is chairman of the museum's trustees, this month expressed hope for a deal that would allow the sculptures "to be seen in Athens".

Mitsotakis is due to meet Sunak on Tuesday, a day after a meeting Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, which is riding high in opinion polls ahead of an election expected in 2024.

The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Culture

Dragon Boat Races Return to Cambodian Capital for Water Festival

Pigeons fly past as participants row dragon boats during a competition as part of the Water Festival on the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh on November 26, 2023. (AFP)
Pigeons fly past as participants row dragon boats during a competition as part of the Water Festival on the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh on November 26, 2023. (AFP)
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Dragon Boat Races Return to Cambodian Capital for Water Festival

Pigeons fly past as participants row dragon boats during a competition as part of the Water Festival on the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh on November 26, 2023. (AFP)
Pigeons fly past as participants row dragon boats during a competition as part of the Water Festival on the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh on November 26, 2023. (AFP)

Tens of thousands of spectators thronged the riverfront in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh Sunday for an annual dragon boat race -- the centerpiece of the kingdom's three-day water festival, cancelled during the Covid pandemic.

Around 300 boats, their crews dressed in matching bright T-shirts, strained for the win as they dipped their colorful paddles into the Tonle Sap river with the royal palace behind them.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Manet, his father Hun Sen and senior government officials looked on as the yearly extravaganza began, with crowds urging the canoes over the final line.

Concerts, parades of lantern floats bedecked with colorful neon lights -- each representing a government ministry -- and fireworks are all part of the three-day festival that will last until Tuesday.

"I am happy that we can meet to celebrate the water festival," 38-year-old rower Hom Phos told AFP.

"I am so excited because it is our national festival."

The festival was last held in 2019, after which it was halted during the pandemic.

"During the Covid pandemic, everyone was worried about it, and we were not happy. But now we are happy again," fellow rower Yorn Vorn, 45, told AFP.

The festival marks the end of the rainy season when the Tonle Sap river, which joins the mighty Mekong River in front of the Royal Palace, reverses flow.

The celebrations turned deadly on the last day of the festival in 2010, when more than 350 people were killed in a stampede on an overcrowded bridge after panic spread over rumors it was about to collapse.

Then Prime Minister Hun Sen described the disaster as Cambodia's worst tragedy since the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 reign of terror, which killed up to a quarter of the population.

Culture

Belgian Delegation Visits Saudi National Museum

Belgium's ambassador to Saudi Arabia Pascal Gregoir and his accompanying delegation visited the Saudi National Museum at its headquarters in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, in Riyadh.
Belgium's ambassador to Saudi Arabia Pascal Gregoir and his accompanying delegation visited the Saudi National Museum at its headquarters in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, in Riyadh.
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Belgian Delegation Visits Saudi National Museum

Belgium's ambassador to Saudi Arabia Pascal Gregoir and his accompanying delegation visited the Saudi National Museum at its headquarters in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, in Riyadh.
Belgium's ambassador to Saudi Arabia Pascal Gregoir and his accompanying delegation visited the Saudi National Museum at its headquarters in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, in Riyadh.

Belgium's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Pascal Gregoir, and his accompanying delegation and officials from Belgian companies specializing in museum solutions, visited the Saudi National Museum at its headquarters in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, in Riyadh, SPA said on Thursday.
During his visit, the Belgian ambassador toured the museum, which consists of eight exhibition halls.
He also viewed the museum's collections and the rich cultural content dating back thousands of years.
The Belgian ambassador also toured the exhibition 'Immigration: In the Footsteps of the Messenger’, which is hosted by the Saudi National Museum in its second edition in a cultural partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra).

Gregoir checked the distinctive content of the exhibition that highlights landmarks, details of the noble prophetic journey that started from the Cave of Thawr in Makkah in the year 622 AD, heading to Quba in Madinah.

Culture

Saudi Arabia Unveils ‘Discover Culture’ Platform: An Integrated Interactive Hub for Cultural Events

The Saudi Ministry of Culture announced the beta launch of the 'Discover Culture' platform
The Saudi Ministry of Culture announced the beta launch of the 'Discover Culture' platform
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Saudi Arabia Unveils ‘Discover Culture’ Platform: An Integrated Interactive Hub for Cultural Events

The Saudi Ministry of Culture announced the beta launch of the 'Discover Culture' platform
The Saudi Ministry of Culture announced the beta launch of the 'Discover Culture' platform

The Saudi Ministry of Culture announced the beta launch of the 'Discover Culture' platform, an integrated interactive platform for exploring cultural events and purchasing tickets.

The platform covers all cultural events and festivals for the public, benefiting a wide target audience, including citizens, residents and tourists.

Managed by a specialized team under the ministry, it provides the latest news and events in one place, allowing users to buy and reserve tickets. The platform supports the Ministry of Culture's efforts to establish a globally recognized cultural events and festivals system aligned with the objectives of the National Strategy for Culture in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.

The platform aims to unify cultural activities across the Kingdom's regions and cities, offering a centralized platform for browsing and purchasing tickets, accessible through the website: https://dc.moc.gov.sa/

Culture

Dazzling Art Piece 'Brilliance of Souls' by Japanese Artist in AlUla

The “Brilliance of the Souls” art piece is displayed in AlJadidah Arts District in AlUla governorate in Saudi Arabia.
The “Brilliance of the Souls” art piece is displayed in AlJadidah Arts District in AlUla governorate in Saudi Arabia.
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Dazzling Art Piece 'Brilliance of Souls' by Japanese Artist in AlUla

The “Brilliance of the Souls” art piece is displayed in AlJadidah Arts District in AlUla governorate in Saudi Arabia.
The “Brilliance of the Souls” art piece is displayed in AlJadidah Arts District in AlUla governorate in Saudi Arabia.

The “Brilliance of the Souls” art piece is displayed in AlJadidah Arts District in AlUla governorate, which is part of the “Infinity Mirror Room” series, presented by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to the thriving art scene in the Kingdom, SPA said on Wednesday.
Visitors will experience a journey that travels into the Japanese artist's exceptional vision of endless contemplation, with a deceptively small space with reflective surfaces and water surrounding the central platform, where the artist's intellect is embodied in her ability to transform a narrow space into an infinite world of artistic expression.
Brilliance of the Souls is a stunning masterpiece and an ideal location for taking spectacular photos. The installation was created in harmony with the natural environment surrounding AlUla.
Multi-colored fields of light are hung at different heights and intervals from the ceiling, evoking images of celestial bodies, stars, planets, and galaxies. Viewing the masterpiece, one will be transported into an ethereal and limitless dimension.
Entry to Brilliance of the Souls art piece will be free and will be available from 4pm to 11pm over a span of two months.