Jeddah’s 'Al Attarin' Street...History from Artistic Perspective

Papers from the 'Roaming Walls' art work displayed at the Amaken Exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) - Asharq Al-Awsat
Papers from the 'Roaming Walls' art work displayed at the Amaken Exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) - Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
20

Jeddah’s 'Al Attarin' Street...History from Artistic Perspective

Papers from the 'Roaming Walls' art work displayed at the Amaken Exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) - Asharq Al-Awsat
Papers from the 'Roaming Walls' art work displayed at the Amaken Exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) - Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi artist Asma Bahmim takes part in the Amaken Exhibition held at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) with her special work “Roaming Walls,” which depicts scenes from her childhood in the heart of Jeddah.

“Long time ago, people in Hejaz used to put papers that feature Quran verses and holy texts inside walls’ cracks in respect of the words written on them. They also used to hide love letters inside the walls, which had long caught my attention as a kid in Al Attarin street,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat.

About the idea, she said: “I thought I knew myself through time, but I discovered that my knowledge was formed of scattered memory pieces that assembled with past events that took place in my hometown. My idea is inspired from the house I was born in, its walls that are filled with my dreams, thoughts, and scraps featuring verses from our holy book that were folded and preserved between stones’ cracks. That collection of successive pictures in my head has long provided me with balance.”

In her work, the Saudi artist focuses on the tradition of placing papers between the cracks of walls, and bricks. Bahmim noticed this tradition for the first time when she was visiting her aunt’s house in the historic region, which motivated her to document it in a work inspired by her spatial memory.

- Al Attarin Street -

Asma Bahmim holds a lot of memories from Al Attarin street. “I know all the places there, and I remember many prominent figures that I used to see in that street, where I studied in a language institute. All these things engraved the street in my memory,” she explained.

The artist took advantage of the demolition of the random properties in that region to collect ancient stones, which she used as a major part in her newest artwork “Roaming Walls” made of wastes of construction materials from the historic region of Jeddah, including pieces of bleached coral, stones, and wood.

- Paper making -

Interestingly, Bahmim has long worked in handmade paper. She makes her own papers using banana leaves she dries on the roof of her house, and color them with natural dyes. When asked about the craft, she said her mother used palm leaves in paper making, like a lot of people did at the time.

“Paper making in Hejaz is almost extinct, but I am trying to keep it alive using banana leaves, and I hope to expand it, but the project requires large potentials.”

Bahmim’s works reflect her interest in Islamic arts, such as medieval manuscripts including ‘Maqamat Al Hariri’ and the Panchatantra stories. Her project consists of collecting paper scraps to build a wall with cracks in which she plans to put her personal letters with hand-written words or gold papers.

Asma Bahamim was born in Jeddah, 1979, and studied fine arts at the Jeddah University, where she currently works as a professor. She also partook in the 2018 Islamic Art Festival in Sharjah.



Study: Crops Under Threat as Surprise March Heatwave Hits Central Asia

Agriculture makes up one-fifth of the region's economy. VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO / AFP
Agriculture makes up one-fifth of the region's economy. VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO / AFP
TT
20

Study: Crops Under Threat as Surprise March Heatwave Hits Central Asia

Agriculture makes up one-fifth of the region's economy. VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO / AFP
Agriculture makes up one-fifth of the region's economy. VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO / AFP

A surprise heatwave hit Central Asia in March, a new study published Friday showed, putting in danger crops and water supply in a largely rural region already heavily affected by the impacts of climate change.

Temperatures across the month were up to 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter in the region than the pre-industrial average, according to World Weather Attribution, a coalition of scientists that studies the impact of climate change on extreme weather events, which conducted the research.

Climate change intensified the heatwave by about 4 degrees Celsius, the group said, though cautioned that figure "is likely an underestimate."

"This is a heatwave that didn't make headlines –- it happened in spring and in a region that isn't exactly known for blistering heatwaves," said Maja Vahlberg, a technical adviser at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre who took part in the study.

The research was conducted across the five Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

"Our heatwave studies often detect changes of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius (35-39 degrees Fahrenheit), so 10 degree Celsius is quite frankly bonkers," said Ben Clarke from Imperial College London.

"Hotter March temperatures are impacting agriculture harvests and access to water in Central Asia, as well as people's health," said Friederike Otto, co-head of World Weather Attribution.

The melting of thousands of glaciers is a major threat to people in the landlocked region, which already suffers from water shortages.

Between 14 and 30 percent of glaciers in the Tian-Shan and Pamir -- the two main mountain ranges in Central Asia -- have melted over the last 60 years, according to a report by the Eurasian Development Bank.

The heatwave coincides with a crucial agricultural season, when almonds, apricots and cherries bloom and wheat is sowed.

Around half of all workers in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are employed in agriculture, which makes up one-fifth of the region's economy.

In particularly hot spots, temperatures hit 30 degrees Celsius -- highly unusual for March.

Central Asia is typically characterized by exceptionally hot summers and harsh, cold winters.

Climate scientists said early heatwaves in the region would likely continue, seeing it as a trend rather than a one-off event.

"We should expect events like this often," Clarke told AFP during an online briefing.