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Jeddah Book Fair Launched with Participation of 1,000 Publishing Houses

The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission logo
The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission logo
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Jeddah Book Fair Launched with Participation of 1,000 Publishing Houses

The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission logo
The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission logo

Saudi Arabia's Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission (LPTC) has launched the Jeddah Book Fair under the theme 'Harbors of culture' in the Jeddah Superdome center.

More than 1,000 local, Arab, and international publishing houses distributed over 400 booths are participating in the book fair, which continues to receive visitors until December 16.

The CEO of the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission (LPTC), Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan, praised the unlimited support of the Kingdom's wise leadership and follow-up and guidance from the Minister of Culture.

He said the event “comes within the initiatives of book fairs, which is one of the strategic initiatives of the commission, that aims to make books accessible in all regions of the Kingdom to enhance knowledge and awareness, and provide them to different segments of society."

The Jeddah Book Fair is the third book fair edition organized by LPTC this year, which came after the Madinah Book Fair, held in June, and the Riyadh International Book Fair, held at the end of September, to open multiple outlets for publication and distribution, and make books accessible to the largest possible segment of society to transform the Kingdom to a major platform for the publishing industry.

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Viking Ship Navigating Seafarers’ Ancient Routes Berths in Adriatic 

A full-size archaeological reconstruction of a 10th-century Viking knarr "Saga Farmann" on its years-long expedition through European rivers, channels and seas, is berthed in Port of Bar, Montenegro, July 20, 2024. (Reuters)
A full-size archaeological reconstruction of a 10th-century Viking knarr "Saga Farmann" on its years-long expedition through European rivers, channels and seas, is berthed in Port of Bar, Montenegro, July 20, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Viking Ship Navigating Seafarers’ Ancient Routes Berths in Adriatic 

A full-size archaeological reconstruction of a 10th-century Viking knarr "Saga Farmann" on its years-long expedition through European rivers, channels and seas, is berthed in Port of Bar, Montenegro, July 20, 2024. (Reuters)
A full-size archaeological reconstruction of a 10th-century Viking knarr "Saga Farmann" on its years-long expedition through European rivers, channels and seas, is berthed in Port of Bar, Montenegro, July 20, 2024. (Reuters)

A replica Viking ship has berthed in Montenegro's Adriatic port of Bar on a years-long trip through European waters inspired by the Norse seafarers who set out from Scandinavia to explore, trade and conquer a millennium ago.

The ship, Saga Farmann, is a full-size archaeological reconstruction of a 10th-century Viking cargo vessel, or knarr, made from oak and pine, which was found in Norway as early as 1893 but only excavated in the 1970s.

"This is the type of ship that would travel to Iceland, or Greenland, even North America," said Linda Sten Vagnes, one of the journey's leaders.

The trip, set to end in 2026, was originally planned to follow the Norwegian coast into the White Sea off northern Russia and the Volga River, but it was rerouted to follow the rivers of Europe from West to East.

"We had to the change the route because of the war (in Ukraine)," Sten Vagnes said.

The Viking age, spanning the 8th to 11th centuries AD, saw Norsemen journey from Scandinavia aboard timber longships to stage raids, trade and settle across a wide region, including North America, using their mastery of maritime technology.

The Saga Farman's journey, which started in 2023, was inspired by the sagas about Vikings who travelled to Constantinople, capital of the-then Byzantine empire.

It took years of hard work by enthusiasts, with the support of the governments of Denmark and Norway, to make an exact copy of a knarr. The vessel was launched in 2018, said Axel Hubert Persvik, a ship builder.

"It takes a long time because most of craft we do is by hand, ... it takes many hours to build it."

At the latest leg of the trip, the 21 meters (69 ft)-long and five meters (16 ft)-wide ship sailed from the Aegean Sea into the Adriatic, said Zander Simpson, the ship's captain.

"The next stage of the trip is around Italy, Sicily ... to stay in Rome this winter, before next year's stage which will take her up the Italian coast, the French Riviera ... to Paris."

In addition to sails and oars, the Saga Farmann has four electric motors to propel it upwind and upstream. More than three tons of batteries are stored onboard where they serve for propulsion and as ballast.