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Embroidery: A Time-Honored Craft Thrives in Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia

Turaif governorate in the Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia has long been renowned for its mastery of embroidery, an exquisite craft that dates back centuries.
Turaif governorate in the Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia has long been renowned for its mastery of embroidery, an exquisite craft that dates back centuries.
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Embroidery: A Time-Honored Craft Thrives in Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia

Turaif governorate in the Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia has long been renowned for its mastery of embroidery, an exquisite craft that dates back centuries.
Turaif governorate in the Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia has long been renowned for its mastery of embroidery, an exquisite craft that dates back centuries.

Turaif governorate in the Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia has long been renowned for its mastery of embroidery, an exquisite craft that dates back centuries, SPA said on Thursday.
This delicate art form, predominantly practiced by women, has become a primary means of creating aesthetically pleasing effects and unique textures on fabric surfaces through the use of decorative stitches, diverse threads, and a heritage passed down from one generation to the next.
Within this region, young girls eagerly learn the art of embroidery from older women, perpetuating a tradition that has become an indispensable part of the women's world. Whether embroidering essential household items, displaying their creations for sale, or offering them as cherished gifts, these skilled artisans bring life and beauty to their handcrafted pieces.
Um Hussein Al-Tarfawi, a seasoned practitioner of this craft for over five decades, attests to its ancient roots and the once-prevalent presence of embroidery in every household. Even in modern times, this timeless art continues to captivate numerous women.
For Um Hussein, devoting her free time to honing her embroidery skills is a testament to her dedication to preserving the rich heritage and protecting this exquisite folk art. She proudly imparts her knowledge to her daughters, recognizing that embroidery embodies the essence of Saudi identity, heritage, and history.
Fatima Khalid, another talented embroiderer, discovered her passion for this art form at a tender age. What began as a hobby soon transformed into a profession and a reliable source of income, thanks to the overwhelming demand for her meticulously crafted products.
Combining traditional embroidery techniques with contemporary approaches, Fatima skillfully wields needles and thread to create a harmonious fusion that appeals to the tastes of modern consumers. She emphasizes the growing trend among mothers who eagerly seek out traditional clothing adorned with intricate embroidery patterns, extending their appreciation to encompass various types of women's apparel and accessories.
In Turaif governorate, embroidery stands as a testament to the enduring allure of ancient crafts, showcasing the ingenuity and creativity of women who continue to breathe life into this cherished art form. As these skilled artisans pass down their expertise while simultaneously adapting to contemporary influences, embroidery remains an enduring symbol of Saudi Arabia's rich cultural heritage.

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Iran's Vast Collection of Western Art, Much Long Hidden, Re-Emerges Despite High Tensions With US

A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Iran's Vast Collection of Western Art, Much Long Hidden, Re-Emerges Despite High Tensions With US

A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

As Iran faces increasing tensions with the West and turmoil at home, a new exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is displaying Western artwork including pieces not seen by the public in at least a decade.
The unveiling of the exhibition “Eye to Eye” has drawn numerous women, their hair uncovered, to the underground galleries of the museum in Tehran's Laleh Park. Their presence, while unacknowledged by authorities, shows the way life has changed inside Iran just in the last few years even as the country's theocracy presses forward with enriching uranium to near-weapons grade levels and launching attacks on Israel during the ongoing Mideast wars, The Associated Press said.
“The first feeling that came to me, and I told my parents, was that I can’t believe I’m seeing these works, which have always been kept far from our eyes,” said Aida Zarrin, a young woman at the museum.
“If such events are held here and we can see artworks like the rest of the world, it’s enough. They are really precious.”
The government of Iran’s Western-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his wife, the former Empress Farah Pahlavi, built the museum and acquired the vast collection in the late 1970s, when oil boomed and Western economies stagnated. Upon opening, it showed sensational works by Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock and other heavyweights, enhancing Iran’s cultural standing on the world stage.
But just two years later, in 1979, Shiite clerics ousted the shah and packed away the art in the museum’s vault. Some paintings — cubist, surrealist, impressionist and even pop art — sat untouched for decades to avoid offending Islamic values and the appearance of catering to Western sensibilities. Nearly everything is believed still to be there, though an Andy Warhol print of the empress was slashed during the revolution.
Today, the collection is likely worth billions of dollars. Even with Iran now cash-strapped under Western sanctions, officials with the museum have been able to advocate for keeping the collection, though there have been occasional trades in the past for items from Persian history. Those sanctions may increase under the next administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
As Iranian politics have thawed, re-frozen and thawed again, the collection resurfaces along with those changes.
Among the over 120 works being shown are ones from Picasso, Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon, along with celebrated Iranian artists. One of the Warhols, “Jacqueline Kennedy II,” is a silkscreen double image of the former US first lady in mourning after the 1963 assassination of her husband, President John Kennedy. Another Warhol portrait of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger also garnered attention from the cellphone photo snappers.
“A lot of these works are important works in the history of art, and that’s why this show distinguishes itself from others,” said Jamal Arabzadeh, the exhibition's curator. ”A lot of people with less exposure to art have discovered the museum for the first time. ... We are seeing a part of the community that are discovering art and the museum and see the potential of this place, and this is something to be proud of.”
The presence of Western art comes as Iran's government has long fought against items like Barbie dolls and depictions of cartoon characters from “The Simpsons.” Such Western influences have been deemed un-Islamic in the past and have been seen as part of a “soft” cultural war against Iran.
With a ticket costing the equivalent of 14 US cents, the exhibition offers a rare government-sanctioned event not involving the country's politics or Shiite religion.
Among the visitors were many women defying the country's mandatory headscarf, or hijab, law. Crackdowns over the hijab have slowed down after Iran's presidential election in July that elected reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, though individual cases of arrest continue to draw anger.
And for many, the cost of tickets to travel abroad given Iran's collapsing rial currency keep foreign museums out of reach.
“This is very attractive for art enthusiasts because not everyone can go and see museums abroad. It’s extremely exciting to see the works here,” said a woman who only gave her last name, Dolatshahi. “I had no idea I could see works by van Gogh and Picasso here.”