عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Culture

Saudi Students Win Gold, Silver Medals in Gulf Arab Poetry, Story, and Novel Competition

Saudi students won two gold medals and one silver medal in the Poetry, Story, and Novel Competition hosted by Sharjah City. SPA
Saudi students won two gold medals and one silver medal in the Poetry, Story, and Novel Competition hosted by Sharjah City. SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Students Win Gold, Silver Medals in Gulf Arab Poetry, Story, and Novel Competition

Saudi students won two gold medals and one silver medal in the Poetry, Story, and Novel Competition hosted by Sharjah City. SPA
Saudi students won two gold medals and one silver medal in the Poetry, Story, and Novel Competition hosted by Sharjah City. SPA

Saudi male and female students won two gold medals and one silver medal in the Poetry, Story, and Novel Competition hosted by Sharjah City, the United Arab Emirates. The event was organized by the Arabic Language Education Centre for the Gulf States (ALECGS), affiliated with the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS).

Abdulrahman bin Saad bin Mohammed Talian from the Education Department in Al-Kharj Governorate secured the gold medal at the Gulf level in the poetry category.

Bassam bin Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Rajhi from the General Department of Education in Riyadh Region got the gold medal in the Novel Category.

Al-Jawhara bint Hassan bin Ali Al-Omari from the General Department of Education in Asir Region secured the silver medal in the Story Category.

The Poetry, Story, and Novel Competition is a newly established contest held for the first time at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) level. It is organized and supervised by the ALECGS in Sharjah.
The competition aims to deepen loyalty and belonging to the Arabic language as one of the most important tools for enhancing national identity.

Most Viewed

 
 
Culture

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.