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Ninth King Abdulaziz Camel Festival Starts in Al-Sayahid

The festival management has launched creative competitions that shed light on camel heritage through photography and filmmaking in a contemporary manner that appeals to younger generations. - File Photo/SPA
The festival management has launched creative competitions that shed light on camel heritage through photography and filmmaking in a contemporary manner that appeals to younger generations. - File Photo/SPA
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Ninth King Abdulaziz Camel Festival Starts in Al-Sayahid

The festival management has launched creative competitions that shed light on camel heritage through photography and filmmaking in a contemporary manner that appeals to younger generations. - File Photo/SPA
The festival management has launched creative competitions that shed light on camel heritage through photography and filmmaking in a contemporary manner that appeals to younger generations. - File Photo/SPA

The ninth edition of the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival kicked off Sunday in Al-Sayahid, the southern part of Al-Dahna Desert, under the theme "Pride of Its People", continuing its mission to preserve and promote the camel as a cornerstone of Saudi cultural identity.
Camel Club Chairman of the Board of Directors Fahd bin Falah bin Hathleen said that the one-month festival reflects the great attention the wise leadership gives the national heritage. He added that the ninth edition is set to be the largest and most diverse in the festival's history, featuring more activities and a higher number of participants, which testifies to its status as a global platform celebrating heritage, and underscores its importance, locally and internationally.
Bin Hathleen said that a variety of cultural and heritage activities blending authenticity with innovation will take place at the festival, including camel beauty competitions that attract owners and visitors from around the world, SPA reported.
He also highlighted unique cultural attractions at the festival, such as the Aqilat Museum, which gives insights into the history of the Arabian Peninsula, and traditional crafts exhibitions celebrating the creativity of Saudi artisans.
Visitors can engage in interactive experiences like camel riding, milking, and feeding, which enable them to immerse themselves in Saudi Arabia's rich heritage.
According to bin Hathleen, poetry plays a central role at the festival; a poetic duel, a prominent traditional art form, is expected to draw word and creativity enthusiasts in a lively and engaging atmosphere.
The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival boosts national identity and establishes the Kingdom as a global destination for cultural heritage. It is an international event that embodies authenticity, creativity, and progress.

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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.