عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Culture

25,000 Fragments of Artifacts from Islamic Era Discovered through Jeddah Historic District Program

The Jeddah Historic District Program, in collaboration with the Heritage Commission, announced the discovery of 25,000 fragments of artifacts dating back to the first two centuries. (SPA)
The Jeddah Historic District Program, in collaboration with the Heritage Commission, announced the discovery of 25,000 fragments of artifacts dating back to the first two centuries. (SPA)
TT
TT

25,000 Fragments of Artifacts from Islamic Era Discovered through Jeddah Historic District Program

The Jeddah Historic District Program, in collaboration with the Heritage Commission, announced the discovery of 25,000 fragments of artifacts dating back to the first two centuries. (SPA)
The Jeddah Historic District Program, in collaboration with the Heritage Commission, announced the discovery of 25,000 fragments of artifacts dating back to the first two centuries. (SPA)

The Jeddah Historic District Program, in collaboration with the Heritage Commission, announced the discovery of 25,000 fragments of artifacts dating back to the first two centuries AH (the 7th and 8th centuries AD), SPA said on Sunday.
According to a press release from the program, the project started in January 2020 with exploratory studies and a geophysical survey. The goal was to unveil the historical significance of four key locations: Othman bin Affan mosque, Al-Shona, a segment of the Northern Wall, and Al-Kidwah. This archaeological endeavor falls within the purview of the Jeddah Historic District Program.
The archaeological discoveries were announced as part of the Historic Jeddah Revival Project, initiated by His Royal Highness Crown Prince.
The project aims to preserve national antiquities and archaeological sites, uncover the rich history of the Kingdom, and promote historic Jeddah as a cultural and tourist destination, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.
According to the release, in November 2020, the archaeological survey and excavations yielded significant findings, including 11,405 pottery shards weighing 293 kg, 11,360 animal bones weighing 107 kg, 1,730 shells weighing 32 kg, 685 building materials weighing 87 kg, 187 glass artifacts weighing 5 kg, and 71 metal artifacts weighing 7 kg. The combined weight of these archaeological finds is 531 kg; they are a valuable contribution to Saudi Arabia's archaeological discoveries.
Archaeological investigation at Othman bin Affan Mosque revealed artifacts dating back to the first two centuries AH (7th to 8th centuries AD) and spanning different historical periods, notably, ebony pillars found near the Mihrab, analyzed and traced back to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) Island in the Indian Ocean, which highlight the extensive trade connections of historic Jeddah.
According to the release, excavations at the same site also unveiled a collection of ceramic vessels and fragments, including high-quality porcelain. Some of the pieces are made in the Chinese province of Jiangxi and date back to the 16th-19th centuries AD, while older pottery fragments are from the Abbasid era.
The archaeological site at Al-Shona, dating back at least to the 19th century AD, has yielded numerous pottery shards, including porcelain and ceramic from Europe, Japan, and China, dating from the 19th to 20th centuries AD.
Excavations at Al-Kidwah (“Bab Makkah” - Makkah gate) revealed parts of the Eastern Moat, which most likely date back to the late 18th century AD.
Tombstones made of Mangabi stone, marble, and granite were found at different locations within historic Jeddah. These tombstones contain inscriptions of names, epitaphs, and Quranic verses, dating back possibly to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AH (8th and 9th centuries AD). Specialists are currently studying them carefully.
The archaeological studies at the four historical sites involved excavations, radiocarbon analysis, soil analyses, geophysical surveys and scientific examination of artifacts. Samples of wood from 52 buildings were sent to international laboratories for identification and dating. Moreover, extensive international archival research led to the collection of over 984 historical documents, including maps and drawings of historic Jeddah. They are currently undergoing detailed study.
The Jeddah Historic District Program and the Heritage Commission collaborated to oversee the documentation, registration and preservation of archaeological artifacts found in historic Jeddah. These discoveries were listed in the National Archaeological Register, and scientific databases were created to preserve the information related to the discovered artifacts.

Most Viewed

 
 
Culture

Gold, Gems and Renoirs: France’s Museums Grapple with a Wave of Smash-and-Grab Thefts

The entrance of the Renoir Museum is pictured after thieves stole four valuable Renoir paintings, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP)
The entrance of the Renoir Museum is pictured after thieves stole four valuable Renoir paintings, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Gold, Gems and Renoirs: France’s Museums Grapple with a Wave of Smash-and-Grab Thefts

The entrance of the Renoir Museum is pictured after thieves stole four valuable Renoir paintings, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP)
The entrance of the Renoir Museum is pictured after thieves stole four valuable Renoir paintings, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP)

At a museum in eastern France, two men disguised with wigs used a sledgehammer and a hammer to smash a display case and make off with a 2,500-year-old gold necklace. The heist took under four minutes.

In a smash-and-grab at another French museum, three masked robbers stole 27 pieces of jewelry valued at more than 4.5 million euros (US$5.2 million), busting through two doors to break in.

Those thefts took place in July. This week, thieves sliced through a fence and climbed through the window of a museum on the French Riviera and fled with two paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. They abandoned two other artworks by the Impressionist master as they made their escape.

The rash of the robberies, coming on the heels of last year's stunning jewel heist in France's most famous and most visited museum, the Louvre, show how the country is both blessed and cursed by its troves of treasure accumulated over centuries of conquest, creativity and having money to spend on art.

France's passion for paintings, sculptures, ancient artifacts and other valuables and curios is a source of national pride and identity. Thousands of museums that house collections big and small help transmit France's love of culture and history from one generation to the next. The biggest also draw millions of tourists who pump money into the French economy.

But keeping all that wealth safe is costly and difficult. Criminals see museums as soft targets. The brazen and agonizing theft of 88 million euros ($102 million) worth of crown jewels from display cases in the Louvre's Apollo gallery served as a wake-up call. But it was only the most shocking example of broader threats to museums, and not just in France.

“When the jewels of a French king disappear, to be melted down because of the price of gold, it is tragic. It breaks everyone’s heart,” said Guillaume Poitrinal, president of a foundation that funds the renovation and protection of French cultural sites, the Fondation du patrimoine.

“We need to make it more difficult to steal works of art and objects that are part of France’s cultural heritage and belong to all French people. That is absolutely essential. And to achieve that, we need to invest,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Renoir heist took just minutes

Before dawn Tuesday, two robbers made off with “Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano” and “Young Woman at the Well.” They dropped “Portrait of Madame Pichon” and “Coco Reading” as they fled through the garden of the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer.

They cut through a fence with an electric knife or saw and entered the museum through the ground floor, said Bryan Masson, mayor of the town between Cannes and Nice on the Mediterranean coast.

The heist took under three minutes. Masson estimated the artworks' value at 9 million euros ($10.5 million). Offloading well-known, stolen art is impossible through legitimate channels, so the paintings could prove to be worth little or nothing for the thieves.

European police agency Europol says museum heists are becoming more violent, with sledgehammers, axes, crowbars and even explosives used for break-ins and to smash display cases.

Thieves also are increasingly targeting museum items with gold and other precious metals that can be melted down and with gemstones that can be removed and sold, the agency said in a report in August. Criminals believe “museum security measures are less robust than those in jewelry stores,” it said.

The ancient necklace stolen July 24 from the museum in Châtillon-sur-Seine, eastern France, was crafted from nearly half a kilo (a pound) of gold.

A record 10 burglaries targeted French and other European museums this summer, according to Jean-Christophe Castelain, director of Le Journal des Arts, a bimonthly revue of the art world.

“Eight of those 10 involved jewelry, coins or antique objects that can easily be melted down,” he said.

A distraught museum director shares her pain

The Lalique Museum in Wingen-sur-Moder, further east near France's border with Germany, has not reopened since the July 5 theft of jewelry there from six display cases busted open with sledgehammers and hammers. The public museum celebrates 19th-century jeweler and glassmaker René Lalique and his successors.

The pain is still raw for its director, Véronique Brumm Schaich. Her voice cracked with emotion during an interview. The museum is seeking 200,000 euros ($233,000) for security upgrades.

“Robbers’ tactics are evolving,” she said. “The recent examples show that we are not the only ones who need to go further in our efforts.”

Because of government budget squeezes, it's not yet clear how much funding will come from public coffers, she said. The museum is also collecting private donations, because “these are things that are extremely expensive,” she said.

“These are difficult times,” she said. “A burglary never comes at a good time, but this one came at an especially bad time.”

Some of the funding that the Fondation du patrimoine provides, including for museums, comes from a national lottery. To help boost museum revenues, the foundation is also launching a pass that will grant subscribers access to 500 museums, monuments and châteaux.

“France is a country where we love passing the buck,” said Poitrinal, the foundation president. “People say it is the state’s responsibility or the city’s responsibility. I say it's quite simple: it is everyone’s responsibility.”

Culture

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Museum Opens Submissions for Sea Art Fair

The community initiative encourages participants to transform recycled or repurposed materials into artworks
The community initiative encourages participants to transform recycled or repurposed materials into artworks
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Museum Opens Submissions for Sea Art Fair

The community initiative encourages participants to transform recycled or repurposed materials into artworks
The community initiative encourages participants to transform recycled or repurposed materials into artworks

The Red Sea Museum in Historic Jeddah has announced an open call for submissions for its upcoming Sea Art Fair, inviting children, families, emerging artists, and creatives of all ages to participate.

The community initiative encourages participants to transform recycled or repurposed materials into artworks reflecting the Red Sea's marine life, coastal heritage, and local narratives. No prior professional artistic experience is required.

Submissions remain open until October 1. Following an evaluation period from October 5 to 20, selected works will be announced on October 25, with final pieces due by October 30.

The exhibition will take place from November 12 to 14 at the museum's historic Bab Al-Bunt building, advancing its mission to celebrate Red Sea culture and heritage through artistic expression and community engagement.

Culture

New Riyadh Exhibition Draws Inspiration from Travels of Ibn Battuta

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
TT

New Riyadh Exhibition Draws Inspiration from Travels of Ibn Battuta

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Misk Art Institute has announced the launch of its art exhibition "Along the Way," opening on September 16 at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall in Riyadh and running through March 31, 2027.

The exhibition features 34 artists from Saudi Arabia and around the world, alongside a rare collection of historical manuscripts.

Drawing inspiration from the travels of Ibn Battuta, the exhibition explores travel as a transformative journey of knowledge and self-discovery, examining themes of maps, wayfinding, memory, and humanity's connection to nature through paintings, sculptures, installation art, and photography.

The exhibition also displays rare historical manuscripts, including the Book of Fixed Stars by Al-Sufi and Nuzhat al-Qulub by Al-Qazwini, which contains a circular world map, alongside an engraved brass astronomical disc from Persia, reflecting Islamic civilization's contributions to navigation and astronomy.