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SDRPY Funds Sayun Palace Restoration to Safeguard Yemen's Heritage

SDRPY works to preserve heritage and restore historic buildings - SPA
SDRPY works to preserve heritage and restore historic buildings - SPA
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SDRPY Funds Sayun Palace Restoration to Safeguard Yemen's Heritage

SDRPY works to preserve heritage and restore historic buildings - SPA
SDRPY works to preserve heritage and restore historic buildings - SPA

The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) has funded the restoration of Sayun Palace, a historic landmark in Hadhramaut.

Over 500 years old, this monumental mud-brick palace is one of the largest of its kind in the world, featuring seven floors and 45 rooms, SPA reported.
The restoration project was carried out by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Yemen's General Organization of Antiquities and Museums, with logistical and technical support from Yemen's Social Fund for Development.

It underscores Saudi Arabia's pioneering role in preserving the history and heritage of Arab and Islamic countries and its commitment to safeguarding Yemen's tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
SDRPY works to preserve heritage and restore historic buildings. It leads strategic initiatives that foster sustainable development, drive growth, and create positive economic impacts in Yemen.
In partnership with the Yemeni Ministry of Culture and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), SDRPY supports the preservation of Yemeni heritage by digitizing documents and manuscripts at Al-Ahqaf Library in Tarim, Hadhramaut. It also focuses on building local capacity to protect these invaluable historical records.

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Heritage Commission Reveals Oldest Known Use of Harmal Plant in Human History

Heritage Commission Reveals Oldest Known Use of Harmal Plant in Human History
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Heritage Commission Reveals Oldest Known Use of Harmal Plant in Human History

Heritage Commission Reveals Oldest Known Use of Harmal Plant in Human History

A landmark scientific study published in the international "Communications Biology" journal revealed the earliest known use of the harmal plant (Peganum harmala), dating back around 2,700 years to the Iron Age, based on archaeological findings from the ancient settlement of Qurayyah in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Region, according to a Saudi Heritage Commission press release, SPA reported.
Conducted as part of a joint research effort by the Saudi Heritage Commission, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, and the University of Vienna in Austria, the study explores the therapeutic and social dimensions of ancient practices in the Arabian Peninsula, underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing scientific understanding of its cultural heritage.
Using high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), researchers performed advanced chemical analyses on organic residues preserved inside pottery incense burners. These analyses detected alkaloids from the harmal plant, providing physical evidence of its use in fumigation rituals for therapeutic purposes.
The harmal plant, also known locally as rue, is recognized for its antibacterial and healing properties. Its documented use at Qurayyah not only reflects early medicinal knowledge but also highlights the continuity of traditional practices in the region.
This discovery further underscores the longstanding cultural and therapeutic traditions of the Arabian Peninsula and demonstrates the Saudi Heritage Commission’s ongoing commitment to international research collaboration.
This research aligns with the broader goals of the Saudi Ministry of Culture to support pioneering initiatives that contribute to the global understanding of human history and to reframe the cultural legacy of the Arabian Peninsula through a modern scientific lens.