International Book Fair 2024 in Madinah Unveils Online Guide for Cultural Program

The Saudi Ministry of Culture logo
The Saudi Ministry of Culture logo
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International Book Fair 2024 in Madinah Unveils Online Guide for Cultural Program

The Saudi Ministry of Culture logo
The Saudi Ministry of Culture logo

The International Book Fair 2024, taking place at the Islamic University of Madinah from August 29 to September 4 under the theme "The Book Is the Window of Life," launched an online guide for its cultural program.
Organized by the Literature and Authors Association under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, the Madinah fair's cultural program stands out for its diversity and rich content, offering a wide array of intellectual and cultural activities tailored for diverse segments of society.
The cultural program features multiple panel discussions that bring together a curated group of thinkers and writers to examine contemporary cultural topics. Panels are centered around the cultural heritage of Madinah and strategies for its preservation, with titles such as "translation: a bridge of civilizations" and "intangible heritage in Madinah."
Furthermore, the program includes a series of specialized workshops on writing, publishing, and translation designed to refine participants' skills and nurture their creative talents.
Attendees can also anticipate a diverse range of lectures spanning literature, history, and sciences, along with several poetry evenings gathering poets from various Arab countries to promote constructive dialogue and foster knowledge-sharing and cultural exchange.



Egypt Recovers 3 Ancient Artifacts Found in the Netherlands

This picture shows a partial view of Cairo on August 25, 2024. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
This picture shows a partial view of Cairo on August 25, 2024. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
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Egypt Recovers 3 Ancient Artifacts Found in the Netherlands

This picture shows a partial view of Cairo on August 25, 2024. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
This picture shows a partial view of Cairo on August 25, 2024. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

Egypt recovered three ancient artifacts that were smuggled out of the country and found in the Netherlands, where two of the items were for sale in an antiques shop, Egyptian officials said Tuesday.
The items retrieved include a mummified head from the Hellenistic period, a ceramic funerary figurine dating to Egypt’s New Kingdom era (664-332 B.C.), and part of a wooden tomb bearing an inscription of the goddess Isis from 663-504 B.C., the Egyptian embassy in The Hague said in a statement. The head was found in good condition, showing remnants of teeth and hair, The Associated Press reported.
Dutch police and the cultural heritage inspection unit retrieved the figurines and parts of the tomb after determining that they were smuggled out of Egypt. A Dutch individual handed over the mummified head, which he had inherited from a family member, to local authorities.
The three artifacts are believed to have been stolen and smuggled after they were discovered through illegal excavation, according to Egyptian authorities. No details were provided about when those items were believed to have been unearthed and smuggled.
Repatriation from the Netherlands is part of Egypt’s wider push to stop trafficking of stolen antiquities. More than 30,000 artifacts have been recovered since 2014.
Last year, an ancient wooden sarcophagus that was featured at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences was returned to Egypt after US authorities determined it was smuggled years ago.