Saudi Arabia Inaugurates Museum on Islamic Civilization Dedicated to Prophet's Life

The International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization in Madinah narrates the history of the Prophet Mohammed’s life. (SPA)
The International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization in Madinah narrates the history of the Prophet Mohammed’s life. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Inaugurates Museum on Islamic Civilization Dedicated to Prophet's Life

The International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization in Madinah narrates the history of the Prophet Mohammed’s life. (SPA)
The International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization in Madinah narrates the history of the Prophet Mohammed’s life. (SPA)

The International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization in Madinah narrates the history of the Prophet Mohammed’s life through 25 pavilions that use various modern technologies and more than 500 artifacts that date back to his era.

The museum will allow visitors to enter the Prophet’s Mosque to experience an enriched religious visit through an exhibition that adopts modern curatorial methods that narrate an important period in the city’s history, as well as Makkah’s and the beginnings of the Prophet’s era more than 1,400 years ago.

The museum is operated by the Muslim World League and aims to present the message of an Islam of justice, peace, mercy, tolerance and moderation while relying on 350 pedagogical methods. It is a message founded in the Holy Quran, the Prophet’s biography and Islamic history.

Governor of Madinah Prince Faisal bin Salman inaugurated the museum, which is located next to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

He said that the exhibition is the first in a series of Islamic museums that will be set up by the Muslim World League in various global capitals.

The exhibition consists of 25 pavilions that include a number of artifacts from the Prophet’s life in Makkah and Madinah. It also uses modern technologies to introduce all the prophets in addition to presenting the efforts of the Saudi government in serving the Quran and Sunnah.

The museum also includes a movie theater, the first of its kind, dedicated to recounting the life of the Prophet through a series of documentaries.



Nepal Capital Chokes as Wildfires Rage

Swoyambhunath Stupa on a hilltop is barely seen from a Skywalk tower amid the air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitraker
Swoyambhunath Stupa on a hilltop is barely seen from a Skywalk tower amid the air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitraker
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Nepal Capital Chokes as Wildfires Rage

Swoyambhunath Stupa on a hilltop is barely seen from a Skywalk tower amid the air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitraker
Swoyambhunath Stupa on a hilltop is barely seen from a Skywalk tower amid the air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitraker

Nepal's capital was blanketed in acrid smog Thursday as wildfires across the country pushed air pollution levels to among the worst in the world.

Experts say that widespread wildfires, fueled by an exceptionally dry winter and stagnant atmospheric conditions, have caused the thick and throat-burning smog to cover the Kathmandu valley, AFP reported.

Levels of PM2.5 pollutants -- cancer-causing microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs -- registered above 178 micrograms per cubic meter on Thursday, according to Swiss monitoring firm IQAir.

A reading above 15 in a 24-hour period is considered unhealthy by the World Health Organization (WHO), and IQAir ranked Kathmandu the world's most polluted city.

The Himalayan nation sees a spate of wildfires annually, usually beginning in March, but their number and intensity have worsened in recent years, with climate change leading to drier winters.

"The prevailing dry conditions have significantly increased the frequency of forest fires across the country, further worsening air pollution," Khushboo Sharma, an air pollution analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD) told AFP.

"This year, precipitation was exceptionally low, with hardly any rainfall, leaving forests dry and more susceptible to fire," she added.

Sharma said that stagnant meteorological conditions are also causing pollution to accumulate over the valley.

On social media, people complained of stinging eyes and itchiness because of the pollution.

Low visibility caused by the smog also disrupted flights at Kathmandu airport, sparking long delays.

"The mountain flights... as well as some other flights have been disturbed because of the pollution," said Rinji Sherpa, the airport's spokesman.

The health ministry issued a notice Wednesday requesting Nepalis to "avoid unnecessary travel" and to wear a mask when outside.

The government has also urged people to avoid construction and burning rubbish.

The Air Quality Life Index, issued by the University of Chicago, estimated that in 2024 air pollution stripped 3.4 years off the life of an average Nepal resident.