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‘Al-Ayniya’, ‘Souq Suwaiqah’ : Historic Market Nurturing Creatives in Madinah

Souq Suwaiqah is one of the ancient markets that gained importance due to its proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
Souq Suwaiqah is one of the ancient markets that gained importance due to its proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
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‘Al-Ayniya’, ‘Souq Suwaiqah’ : Historic Market Nurturing Creatives in Madinah

Souq Suwaiqah is one of the ancient markets that gained importance due to its proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
Souq Suwaiqah is one of the ancient markets that gained importance due to its proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)

A once-historic market lay dormant for years after a fire destroyed most of it. Now, it's a thriving creative hub in Medina. This place, once reduced to ashes, has risen again, supporting artisans in crafting and selling handmade products and souvenirs.

Recently renovated, Al-Ayniya Workshops and Souq Suwaiqah now offer modern facilities to train, produce, and market crafts.

This initiative by the “Nimaa Al Madinah” foundation aims to boost economic and social development by empowering entrepreneurs through training and marketing support.

Souq Suwaiqah holds great historical significance in Medina, particularly due to its location near the Prophet’s Mosque. It has been a bustling hub for traders and shoppers, especially during religious seasons.

The market is famous for its fabric trade, along with selling gold, perfumes, and other goods.

However, in 1397 AH, a massive fire destroyed everything in the market, causing extensive damage to nearby residential areas. This tragic event silenced the once lively market, leaving a lasting memory in the city’s history, spanning over 430 years.

Lately, the old market has come back to life thanks to the Al-Ayniya and Souq Suwaiqah project. This effort includes workshops for crafts and shops with a traditional exterior.

Their products, bearing a Medina style, are popular among visitors to the city’s market, who choose them as gifts and souvenirs.

The project aims to revive the spirit of ancient markets while blending modernity with historical charm.

Led by the Nimaa Al Madinah foundation, it encourages entrepreneurship to enrich religious and cultural experiences and support Saudi Vision 2030 goals. The initiative trains and supports entrepreneurs and families, empowering them to create gifts and souvenirs for visitors to Medina.

Support for entrepreneurs, especially women, has been successful in the handmade and craft products sector.

Over three years, 3,000 women have graduated from training workshops, with about 900 empowered.

These workshops cover various crafts, and products are sold at the modern Souq Suwaiqah outlets, which pay homage to Medina’s historical markets.

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'Spectacular' Viking Burial Site Discovered in Denmark 

A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
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'Spectacular' Viking Burial Site Discovered in Denmark 

A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)

In an accidental find, a 10th-century burial site believed to have belonged to a Viking noble family has been discovered in northern Denmark, packed with a "spectacular" trove of ancient objects, a museum announced Tuesday.

The discovery came when pearls, coins, ceramics and a box containing a gold thread were unearthed during construction work near Lisbjerg, a village located seven kilometers (four miles) north of Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city.

Archaeologists found the site contained around 30 graves dating from the second half of the 10th century, when the famous King Harald Bluetooth reigned, said the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus.

According to the museum's archaeologist Mads Ravn, the graves are most likely linked to a noble family from the Viking Age -- which lasted between the eighth and 11th centuries -- whose farm was discovered less than a kilometer from the burial site in the late 1980s.

"This could have been one of Harald Bluetooth's earls or stewards," Ravn told AFP.

Ravn noted that the king, who introduced Christianity to what is today Denmark, tasked nobles with managing certain regions.

Researchers also discovered some human remains, such as teeth and bones, at the site.

"People basically took what was important to them into the grave because they wanted to transfer it to the other world," the archaeologist said.

One of the graves, which scientists believe belonged to an important woman, contained a box filled with decorative objects and a pair of scissors.

The "magnificent" box is a remarkable find, according to Ravn, with only a few having been discovered before, including one in southeastern Germany.

"It's very rare, there's only three of them we know of," he said.

The excavations at Lisbjerg are due to be completed this week, after which experts will begin a thorough analysis of the objects recovered.

Wooden objects in particular should help them accurately date the burial site.

As a royal and commercial center, Aarhus was one of Denmark's most important cities during the Viking Age.