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CEO of Literature, Publishing and Translation Authority Meets with Mexican Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Meeting between CEO of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission and Ambassador of Mexico to Saudi Arabia - SPA
Meeting between CEO of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission and Ambassador of Mexico to Saudi Arabia - SPA
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CEO of Literature, Publishing and Translation Authority Meets with Mexican Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Meeting between CEO of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission and Ambassador of Mexico to Saudi Arabia - SPA
Meeting between CEO of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission and Ambassador of Mexico to Saudi Arabia - SPA

The CEO of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan, met in Riyadh with the Ambassador of Mexico to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Anibal Gomez Toledo.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed cultural relations between the two friendly countries and opportunities for developing cultural relations, especially those related to the sectors of literature, publishing and translation.

The meeting was attended by several officials from both sides.

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Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)

In his seaside workshop on the Greek island of Lesbos, Nikos Kouvdis uses ancient techniques to create pottery pieces that have recently been honored with inclusion in UNESCO's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Kouvdis, 70, and his family have kept an old technique alive near the once humming pottery hub of Mandamados, just as the slow and careful methods of the past have been largely eclipsed by factory machines.

Their pottery is among the last in the Mediterranean to be produced from clay in local soil, using a traditional kiln with olive pits as fuel, with the pieces painted with natural lime.

"It's an honor for me," Kouvdis said with regard to the UNESCO recognition of his work.

He said a mechanized press can work at 10 times the speed of an individual potter. "There’s no continuity. There’s no space for (our) method to continue."

Still, he continues to produce individual pots on an outcrop of land overlooking the Aegean Sea.

"Above all, it’s a passion - trying to create something that fulfils you," he said.