Saudi Arabia Inaugurates its Pavilion at Beijing International Book Fair

Saudi Arabia inaugurated its pavilion as the guest of honor at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) in China. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia inaugurated its pavilion as the guest of honor at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) in China. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Arabia Inaugurates its Pavilion at Beijing International Book Fair

Saudi Arabia inaugurated its pavilion as the guest of honor at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) in China. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia inaugurated its pavilion as the guest of honor at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) in China. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia inaugurated its pavilion as the guest of honor at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) in China, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

The fair will take place from June 19 to 23 in Beijing.

The Saudi delegation, led by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, includes representatives from various cultural entities, such as the Heritage Commission, the Culinary Arts Commission, the Ministry of Investment, the King Abdulaziz Foundation, the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, the King Abdulaziz Public Library, and the Saudi Publishers Association.

Saudi Arabia’s participation aims to showcase the Kingdom's cultural heritage to the Chinese audience and promote investment opportunities in the cultural sector.

CEO of the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, Dr. Mohammed Hasan Alwan, emphasized that the Kingdom's participation is focused on boosting cultural dialogue, strengthening the bond between the two countries, and fostering cooperation in literature and the arts.

The Kingdom's pavilion will feature a diverse cultural program, including seminars, dialogue sessions, exhibitions of books, manuscripts, artifacts from Saudi Arabia, and traditional performing arts.

A special Saudi dinner event will be hosted, featuring local dishes and performing arts from various regions of the Kingdom. Additionally, there will be displays of Saudi fashion and a section dedicated to the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Award for Cultural Cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China.

The Beijing International Book Fair, established in 1986, is organized by the China National Publications Import and Export Group and is the second-largest book fair in the world. It attracts over 2,600 exhibitors from 100 countries, making it the most influential book fair in China and Asia.



Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)

In his seaside workshop on the Greek island of Lesbos, Nikos Kouvdis uses ancient techniques to create pottery pieces that have recently been honored with inclusion in UNESCO's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Kouvdis, 70, and his family have kept an old technique alive near the once humming pottery hub of Mandamados, just as the slow and careful methods of the past have been largely eclipsed by factory machines.

Their pottery is among the last in the Mediterranean to be produced from clay in local soil, using a traditional kiln with olive pits as fuel, with the pieces painted with natural lime.

"It's an honor for me," Kouvdis said with regard to the UNESCO recognition of his work.

He said a mechanized press can work at 10 times the speed of an individual potter. "There’s no continuity. There’s no space for (our) method to continue."

Still, he continues to produce individual pots on an outcrop of land overlooking the Aegean Sea.

"Above all, it’s a passion - trying to create something that fulfils you," he said.