Culture

UK Proposal to Charge Tourists to Visit Museums Sparks Backlash

Culture FILE PHOTO: People walk in front of the British Museum in London, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo

UK Proposal to Charge Tourists to Visit Museums Sparks Backlash

Britain is considering introducing entry fees for tourists visiting some of England's most renowned museums, a proposal that has drawn criticism from…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Culture The artworks are strategically distributed across major streets, public squares, cultural centers, and key urban hubs. SPA

Riyadh Art Unveils 75 Works in Expanding Public Art Collection Across Capital

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City, through its “Riyadh Art” program, has unveiled 75 new artworks as part of a growing permanent collection installed across…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture A conservator works on the restoration of gilded moldings at the Prado museum's sculpture restoration department in Madrid on October 23, 2025. (Pierre-Philippe Marcou/ AFP)

New Tools Rescue Old Art at Madrid’s Prado Museum

In a quiet space secluded from the throngs of daily visitors to Madrid's Prado art museum, a team of experts perpetuate an ancient tradition of restoring…

Culture The Saudi Culture Ministry will oversee the national pavilion with participation from several entities

Saudi Culture Ministry Launches Nonprofit Cultural Sector Forum with Wide Participation from Experts, Entities

Under the patronage of Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the sessions of the Nonprofit Cultural Sector Forum, organized by the…

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Culture Maraya Hall reflects one aspect of the cultural transformation witnessed in AlUla - SPA

AlUla’s Maraya Hall Highlights Creative Fusion of Art and Landscape

In AlUla Governorate, features of human creativity are manifested in their finest form, as Maraya Hall hosts an exceptional artistic and architectural…

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Culture Prince Badr expressed his pride in the strong historical and fraternal ties between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia - SPA

Saudi Culture Minister Reviews Bilateral Cultural Relations with Malaysian Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan met Wednesday with Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing. …

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Culture The Saudi Minister of Culture met on Tuesday with Indonesia’s Minister of Creative Economy in Jakarta. SPA

Saudi Culture Minister Meets with Indonesian Minister of Creative Economy

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan on Tuesday met with Indonesia’s Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya in Jakarta. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Jakarta)
Culture “Life Through a Royal Lens” runs until June 7. (Kensington Palace)

‘Life Through a Royal Lens’ Exhibition Showcases British Royal Photography

A photography exhibition showcasing more than 100 photographs taken of and by the British Royal Family is on tour following its launch at Kensington Palace. …

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Culture People sit at a bistro, enjoying the sun in Paris, Thursday, April 9, 2026.(AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French Lawmakers Pass Bill Simplifying Return of Colonial-era Art

French lawmakers on Monday passed a bill to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin, AFP reported. …

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Culture The book spent 29 weeks on the German best-seller list. Photo: The New York Times

A Novel Makes a Star Out of a Very Young Writer

By Thomas Rogers The 22-year-old Swiss writer Nelio Biedermann has strange memories of visiting his family’s old properties when he was a child. Although he…

Culture FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Tom Nicholson/Pool/File Photo

French Lawmakers to Debate Bill to Return Colonial-era Art

France's lawmakers will on Monday debate a bill to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin. France still…

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Culture Rockslides are a concern at the ancient theatre of Delphi. Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP/File

Greece's Ancient Sites Get Climate-change Checkup

Worsening wildfires, soaring heatwaves and rising water levels have prompted Greek officials to take a closer look at protecting priceless archaeological sites…

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Culture  A general view of the Door of No Return monument in Ouidah on April 7, 2026. (AFP)

Benin Leans into Painful Past to Attract Tourists

Tourists crowded beneath the Door of No Return, an arch built by the beach at Ouidah in southern Benin in memory of those crammed onto slave ships bound for…

Culture The Hira Cultural District in Makkah organized a literary symposium on Friday at Hira Café. (SPA)

Hira Cultural District Hosts Symposium on Arabic Language and Identity

The Hira Cultural District in Makkah organized a literary symposium on Friday at Hira Café, where scholars, writers, and language enthusiasts gathered to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters)

Saudi Ministry Launches ‘Cultural Experiences’ Program to Promote Local Arts and Heritage

The Saudi Ministry of Culture unveiled the “Cultural Experiences” program to raise awareness of local culture and arts through interactive public experiences. …

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Culture A visitor looks at Spanish painter Pablo Picasso's master piece "Guernica" during a press conference presenting the "Year of Picasso" events, marking the 50th anniversary of the painter's death, at the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid, on September 12, 2022. (Thomas Coex/ AFP)

Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ at Heart of Battle in Spain Over Location

Pablo Picasso's anti-war masterpiece "Guernica" is swept up in a conflict in Spain, where Basque leaders want the government in Madrid to move the painting to…

Culture Cultural Development Fund Reports Strong Q1 2026 Growth and Impact

Cultural Development Fund Reports Strong Q1 2026 Growth and Impact

The Cultural Development Fund has announced its results for the first quarter of 2026, demonstrating significant growth in financial performance and…

Asharq Al Awsat

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Culture The pavilion highlighted the distinctive architectural features of Historic Jeddah - SPA

Historic Jeddah Showcases Cultural Heritage at Umrah and Ziyarah Forum

Historic Jeddah participated in the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum to highlight its historical role as a key gateway for pilgrims to Makkah, while introducing…

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Culture  Maiko (apprentice geisha) take part in a press interview ahead a rehearsal for the annual "Miyako Odori" -- which means "capital city dance" in Japanese, at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo in Kyoto on March 31, 2026. (AFP)

Geisha Spectacle in Japan’s Kyoto Celebrates Arrival of Spring

Against a backdrop of blooming cherry blossoms, a group of geishas elegantly shuffle onto a stage in Japan's Kyoto city to begin a centuries-old performance…

Culture  Morten Johansen, head of maritime archaeology at Denmark's Viking Ship Museum, shows a metal insignia recovered from the wreck of Danish flagship "Dannebroge" that sank during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP)

Danish Warship Sunk by Nelson’s British Fleet Discovered After 225 Years

More than 200 years after being sunk by Adm. Horatio Nelson and the British fleet, a Danish warship has been discovered on the seabed of Copenhagen Harbor by…

Culture A police officer stands by a stolen artifact from Romania, the 2,500-year-old Cotofenesti helmet, recovered in Netherlands, is shown during a press conference in Assen, Netherlands, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aleksandar Furtula)

Priceless Ancient Golden Helmet Stolen from Dutch Museum Is Recovered

A priceless ancient golden helmet from Romania stolen last year from a museum in the Netherlands has been recovered, Dutch authorities announced Thursday. …

Culture The Traditional Arts Festival 2026 is drawing strong crowds of visitors and tourists in Diriyah. (SPA)

Traditional Arts Festival Reinforces National Identity, Highlights Performance Traditions

The Traditional Arts Festival 2026, organized by the Ministry of Culture, is drawing strong crowds of visitors and tourists in Diriyah amid pleasant spring…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture An Iraqi worker excavates a rock-carving relief recently found at the Mashki Gate, one of the monumental gates to the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh, on the outskirts of what is today the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on October 19, 2022. (AFP)

Archaeologists Forced by Middle East War to Cut Short Iraq Digs

Iraq is home to ruins from some of the world's earliest civilizations, but teams led by international archaeologists have been forced by drone and rocket…

Culture A visitor looks at works by Auguste Renoir during the press review of the exhibition 'Renoir the draughtsman at 'the Orsay museum, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

Thieves Steal Paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse from Italian Private Museum

Thieves made off with three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions of euros (dollars) from a museum near the city of Parma in northern Italy,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture  First responders inspect a residential building hit in an earlier US-Israeli strike in Tehran, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP)

Iran Says US, Israeli Strikes Damage 120 Museums, Historic Buildings

US and Israeli strikes on Iran have damaged at least 120 culturally or historically significant sites across the country since the start of the war, the head…

Culture The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Culture Ministry Launches UK-KSA Arabian Peninsula Cultural Research Fellowships

The Ministry of Culture has launched the UK-KSA Arabian Peninsula Cultural Research Fellowships in partnership with Effat University and the National Archives…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture Culture Ministry Signs Partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Riyadh University of Arts

Culture Ministry Signs Partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Riyadh University of Arts

The Ministry of Culture signed on Thursday a partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Riyadh University of Arts (RUA)’s College of Music. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture A photo taken in Prague's National Museum shows a 3D scanner in the Archa III (Ark Project) truck on March 24, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic. (AFP)

Czech ‘Arks’ Help Preserve Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage

The National Museum in Prague on Tuesday unveiled a van containing a 3D scanning device that will soon travel to war-ravaged Ukraine to help preserve its…

Culture This photograph taken on March 23, 2026, shows smoke as it rises from the site of an Israeli air strike at the background of the archaeological site of the ruins of the Phoenician Port in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. (AFP)

In Lebanon’s Tyre, Ancient Site Threatened by Israeli Bombs

At an archaeological site in southern Lebanon's Tyre, small signs bearing a blue and white emblem provide a symbolic shield, meant to protect the ancient ruins…