Hail Regional Museum...A Tour Through Time During 'Saudi Winter'

The exterior design of Saudi Arabia's Hail Regional Museum - Asharq Al-Awsat
The exterior design of Saudi Arabia's Hail Regional Museum - Asharq Al-Awsat
TT

Hail Regional Museum...A Tour Through Time During 'Saudi Winter'

The exterior design of Saudi Arabia's Hail Regional Museum - Asharq Al-Awsat
The exterior design of Saudi Arabia's Hail Regional Museum - Asharq Al-Awsat

Hail Regional Museum has been garnering more attention since it was highlighted among the Saudi Winter’s list of private sector tourist sites.

The museum, whose identity is influenced by the Hail urban and heritage identity, is home to antiquities and its other historical items from the governorate. They are displayed according to their chronological sequence, starting with the prehistoric era, then the epoch of the first civilizations that settled in each region, and finally with the modern era. The historically comprehensive exhibit features various crafts and traditional industries, and it is designed to attract audience of all ages.

Around 1,500 square meters large, the museum has many sections. A section of the museum is dedicated to Hail’s geology, with samples of its rock formations on display, accompanied by explanation of their chronology and the region’s natural diversity.

The museum, with its beautiful art pieces, unique historical objects, ancient scripts and artifacts, is a significant addition to the cultural and art scene in the region that gives visitors the opportunity to stroll through different eras and learn about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s civilizational heritage.

The museum has several halls, each of which exhibits a diverse “historical narrative.”

The hall dedicated to Hail’s history and geology shows samples of rocks from the region, with a focus on metallurgy sites, mines and the region’s botany and zoology. Visitors can also go to the pre-Islamic era in the hall dedicated to it, which starts from the stone ages and ends with Jahiliya; this hall includes tools and pottery, as well as inscriptions and engravings, from the stone age.

As for the Hail Through History Hall, it exhibits paintings, texts, pictures and scripts. And the region’s heritage, with its traditional industries, is on display in Hail Heritage Hall, as are its folkloric clothing, jewelry, cooking utensils and agricultural tools... as well as other components of local heritage. Education also has its own hall; the Education in Hail Hall tells the story of the first schools to open in the region and an array of old books, films and letters.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage included over 17 sites in its Saudi Winter campaign, which offers over 300 touristic experiences provided by over travel and tour agencies so that visitors can discover the Kingdom’s diverse geography and attractive winter climate.



Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Erupts, Spewing Columns of Lava

 In this photo provided by the US Geological Survey, an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (N. Deligne/US Geological Survey via AP)
In this photo provided by the US Geological Survey, an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (N. Deligne/US Geological Survey via AP)
TT

Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Erupts, Spewing Columns of Lava

 In this photo provided by the US Geological Survey, an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (N. Deligne/US Geological Survey via AP)
In this photo provided by the US Geological Survey, an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (N. Deligne/US Geological Survey via AP)

One of the world's most active volcanoes sprang into life again Monday, spewing columns of lava 80 meters (260 feet) above Hawaii, US vulcanologists said.

Images showed enormous fissures in the caldera of Kilauea, on Hawaii's Big Island, spraying jets of molten rock into the air.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the eruption began just after 2:00 am local time (1200 GMT) in the southwestern section of the caldera.

"At 4:30 am, lava fountains were observed with heights up to 80 meters (262 feet)," the agency said.

"Molten material, including lava bombs, is being ejected from the vents on the caldera floor up onto the west caldera rim."

The eruption was also sending matter much higher into the atmosphere.

"The plume of volcanic gas and fine volcanic particles is reaching elevations of 6,000-8,000 feet above sea level... and winds are transporting it to the southwest."

"The eruption is occurring within a closed area" of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the observatory said, adding that lava flows "are currently confined to Halema'uma'u and the eastern part of Kilauea caldera."

However, it warned that sulphur dioxide emanating from the fissure would react with other gases in the atmosphere.

So-called vog -- volcanic smog -- can affect people and animals, as well as crops.

Kilauea has been very active since 1983 and erupts relatively regularly, including most recently in September.

It is one of six active volcanoes located in the Hawaiian Islands, which also include Mauna Loa, the largest volcano in the world.

Kilauea is much smaller than neighboring Mauna Loa, but is far more active and regularly wows helicopter-riding tourists who come to see its red-hot shows.