Culture

Tyre’s Ruins Survived the Strikes. Now Divers are Finding their Way Back Underwater

Culture A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Tyre’s Ruins Survived the Strikes. Now Divers are Finding their Way Back Underwater

Beneath the Mediterranean waters off the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, divers swim past stone walls, ancient structures and a submerged road — remnants of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA

Historic Linah Marks Saudi National Day with Heritage Events, International Performances

Historic Linah, located south of Rafha in Northern Borders Region, will celebrate Saudi National Day with a series of national and heritage events at the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture  A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)

Germans Arrested for Louvre Stunt in Mona Lisa Hall

Two Germans were arrested Saturday after they stuck two paintings on a wall of the hall that hosts the Mona Lisa in Paris's Louvre museum, police sources said…

Culture The agreement focuses on organizing a specialized symposium to exchange expertise on safeguarding policies, methodologies, and practices. SPA

Saudi Culture Ministry, ALECSO Sign Executive Program for Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Ministry of Culture has signed an executive program with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to establish a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture Visual Arts Commission logo

Visual Arts Commission Marks Saudi National Day with Cultural Campaign

The Visual Arts Commission has launched a cultural campaign for Saudi National Day, evoking national memory, culture, and shared lived experiences through…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)

Culture A drone view shows the grounds of the Museo Regionale di Messina, where four artworks by 15th-century painter Antonello da Messina were stolen overnight, in Messina, Sicily, Italy, August 16, 2026. (Reuters)

Mafia Link Feared in Sicilian Grand Master Theft

The theft of four paintings by Renaissance master Antonello da Messina may have involved organized crime and raised troubling questions about security at a…

Culture Palestinian musicians take part in a final rehearsal before the opening of the Jerusalem Festival, held at the Yabous Cultural Center after a two-year hiatus, in East Jerusalem on August 16, 2026. (AFP)

Palestinians Celebrate Jerusalem Festival Return After Gaza War Hiatus

Three years after its last edition, hundreds of fans are again able to enjoy the Jerusalem Festival, a Palestinian cultural celebration which had been on hold…

Culture Access to the rock-strewn cave is not easy. Ahmet Ayberk Cimen / AFP

Is this Cave in Türkiye Where Homer Wrote 'The Odyssey'?

On a Turkish hillside overlooking the olive-covered slopes outside Izmir is a cave known to generations of locals as the place where Homer penned "The Odyssey"…

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Culture The initiative is part of the commission’s efforts to promote international cultural dialogue and highlight the region’s exceptional cultural heritage. (SPA)

AlUla Royal Commission, National Museum of Asian Art Strengthen Cooperation Through Residence Program

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla has strengthened its cultural partnership with the National Museum of Asian Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution…

Culture A worker cleans the marble surfaces of the Panathenaic Stadium, also known as "Kallimarmaro," or beautiful marble, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, using a high-pressure water hose during renovation work in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Athens Is Cleaning Its All-Marble Olympic Stadium for the First Time in More Than a Century

It has welcomed marathon runners, rock stars and the first modern Olympic athletes. Now it’s time for a monumental scrub. Athens’ U-shaped Panathenaic…

Culture Carabinieri officers pose with three paintings by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and Pierre-Auguste Renoir recovered after they were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation in Mamiano, Italy, in this handout image released on August 14, 2026. Carabinieri/Handout via REUTERS

Italian Police Recover Stolen Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse Worth 9 mn Euros

Paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse worth over nine million euros which were stolen from a museum in Italy in March have been recovered, Italian police…

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Culture This handout picture released on August 13, 2026, by the Sao Paulo police press office shows eight recovered works by French artist Henri Matisse that had been stolen in December 2025 in Sao Paulo. (Photo by Handout / SAO PAULO'S POLICE PRESS OFFICE / AFP)

Brazilian Police Recover Matisse Works Stolen in 2025

Police in Brazil have recovered eight engravings by French artist Henri Matisse that were stolen from a Sao Paulo library last year by an organized gang of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture This screen grab of a handout video taken and released by Spain's Military Emergencies Unit (UME) shows firefighters taking away a painting amid a wildfire threatening San Juan de la Pena Monastery in Penas de Riglos in the Spanish southwestern province of Aragon, on August 13, 2026. (Photo by Handout / UME / AFP)

Spain Removes Remains of 11th Century Kings from Monastery as Wildfire Rages

Spanish authorities on Thursday removed the remains of three kings who ruled the Aragón region in the 11th century from a monastery threatened by a wildfire. …

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Culture Statue from AlUla dating to the Lihyanite period, temporarily on display at the Louvre Museum, reflects AlUla’s rich heritage and role in human civilization. (SPA) 

Saudi Archaeology: Discoveries Rewriting the History of the Arabian Peninsula

Two Saudi cities, relatively close geographically but rooted in vastly different periods of history, encapsulate thousands of years of human experience. …

Omar Badawi (Riyadh)
Culture The Saudi Film Commission logo

Film Commission Announces Rules, Selection Process for the Kingdom’s 2027 Best International Feature Film Oscar Submission

The Film Commission has announced the official rules, eligibility criteria, and selection process for the Kingdom’s official submission to the 99th Academy…

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Culture A worker hammers a cymbal at a workshop in Istanbul on July 30, 2026. (AFP)

Istanbul Cymbals: From Ottoman Weapon of War to Pulse of Global Music

The rhythmic clanging of hammers on bronze echoes through the Istanbul workshop where three craftsmen are landing blows with astonishing precision to transform…

Culture The Saudi Heritage Commission logo

Saudi Heritage Commission Expands National Urban Heritage Register with 9,586 New Sites

The Heritage Commission announced the registration of 9,586 urban heritage sites in the National Urban Heritage Register in two consecutive phases. The…

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Culture The program’s educational dimension extends to archaeology, the environment, and the protection of underwater cultural heritage - SPA

Red Sea Museum Transforms Learning into Experiences of Discovery and Creativity

The Red Sea Museum in Historic Jeddah takes visitors on a journey this August that goes beyond viewing its collections to engaging with the Red Sea as a space…

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Culture More than 1.3 million visitors attended the latest edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair. (Saudi Ministry of Culture)

Initiatives Make Saudi Cultures a Greater Part of Life in the Kingdom

Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector continues to expand, with the latest Ministry of Culture figures highlighting progress toward making culture a way of life…

Omar al-Badwi (Riyadh)
Culture Kusman runs his finger over a tablet engraved with the ancient Urartu language. Ozan KOSE / AFP

Self-taught Turkish 'Linguist' Keeps Dead Language Alive

Mehmet Kusman did not spend very long at school, but he traced the ancient inscriptions chiseled into the black basalt rock and read: "Before me there was…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture  Saudi Minister of Culture Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud

UNESCO AI Ethics Forum Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Global Standing, Culture Minister Says

Saudi Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan said Saudi…

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Culture The manuscript offers visitors a glimpse into the history of handwritten Qurans - SPA

Holy Quran Museum in Makkah Showcases 18th-Century Quranic Manuscript

The Holy Quran Museum in the Hira Cultural District in Makkah houses a Holy Quran manuscript dating to the 18th century. The manuscript reflects the…

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Culture This aerial view shows the Stromboli Island, part of the Aeolian archipelago off Sicily, on July 8, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

Roman Wreck Carrying Hundreds of Amphorae Found Off Sicily

Italian divers have discovered the 2,100-year-old wreck of a Roman ship off Sicily, piled high with hundreds of well-preserved amphorae, which were likely used…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture The Saudi Visual Arts Commission logo

Saudi Visual Arts Commission Releases 'Public Art: A Comprehensive Reference and Guiding Principles'

The Saudi Visual Arts Commission has announced the launch of Public Art: A Comprehensive Reference and Guiding Principles, available in both quick and full…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture Jazz in Jeddah will be held next October in Historic Jeddah

Saudi Music Commission Announces Strategic Partnership with 'Jazz in Jeddah' Platform

The Music Commission announced on Tuesday a strategic partnership with Jazz in Jeddah, organized by Call of Culture. The partnership builds on the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture Libraries Commission Launches Summer Reading Challenge 2026 for Children, Adolescents

Libraries Commission Launches Summer Reading Challenge 2026 for Children, Adolescents

The Libraries Commission has launched the summer reading challenge 2026 to encourage children and adolescents to read, foster a culture of reading, and develop…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture The Red Sea Museum in Historic Jeddah strengthened its cultural outreach during July through a diverse program of workshops, panel discussions, and interactive activities. (SPA)

Red Sea Museum Brings Maritime Heritage to Life Through Interactive Cultural Experiences

The Red Sea Museum in Historic Jeddah strengthened its cultural outreach during July through a diverse program of workshops, panel discussions, and interactive…

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Culture The complex receives generous support from the Kingdom's leadership - SPA

King Fahd Complex Welcomes over 154,000 Visitors from 18 Countries in July

The King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex in Madinah welcomed more than 154,000 visitors from 18 countries during July to learn about Saudi Arabia's…

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Culture The Saudi Heritage Commission logo

Saudi Heritage Commission Registers 1,173 New Archaeological Sites in National Antiquities Register

The Heritage Commission has registered 1,173 new archaeological sites in the National Antiquities Register, bringing the total number of registered sites…

Asharq Al Awsat