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…

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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…

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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 Ongoing rehabilitation and heritage preservation efforts focus on maintaining Al-Ulaya's - SPA

Hail's Historical District Preserves 150 Years of Architectural Heritage

Al-Ulaya historical district in Hail stands as a key heritage landmark, preserving the city's architectural and social history spanning over 150 years. …

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Culture The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh has acquired a rare 1829 copy of the first printed English translation of Ibn Battuta's travels - SPA

King Abdulaziz Public Library Unveils First English Translation of Ibn Battuta's Travels

The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh has acquired a rare 1829 copy of the first printed English translation of Ibn Battuta's travels, a 294-page work by…

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Culture Clouds float in the sky above the Elektrozavod factory in Moscow, Russia, July 2, 2026. (Reuters)

Thousands Support Campaign to Save Soviet Industrial ‘Castle’ in Moscow

A campaign to save ‌a Soviet-era industrial landmark in Moscow from redevelopment has attracted thousands of supporters in an increasingly rare example of…

Culture File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

Japanese Embassy Hosts 'Al-Majlis Al-Yabani' in Riyadh to Strengthen Language and Cultural Ties

The Embassy of Japan in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has hosted “Al-Majlis Al-Yabani” (Japanese Speakers’ Gathering) at the ambassador’s residence in Riyadh…

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Culture The season's activities include sections for artisans and families working in the cottage industry - SPA

Madinah Dates Season Highlights Agricultural Heritage, Traditional Crafts, Supports Local Producers

Madinah Dates Season 2026 is witnessing notable visitor turnout as a platform bringing together date producers, artisans, and families working in the cottage…

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Culture The reserve features 14 distinct geographical formations - SPA

Archaeological Inscriptions at King Salman Royal Reserve Preserve Legacy of Ancient Civilizations

Archaeological inscriptions are living historical records carved into rock, bearing witness to ancient civilizations and providing clear insights into the…

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Culture Darah Launches Global Digital Access to Saudi Historical and Cultural Resources

Darah Launches Global Digital Access to Saudi Historical and Cultural Resources

The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) has made its digital platform accessible to users worldwide, enabling researchers and…

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Culture The Saudi Heritage Commission logo

Heritage Commission Records 55 Cultural Heritage Violations in Q2 2026

The Heritage Commission recorded 55 violations involving cultural heritage sites and artifacts across several regions of the Kingdom during the second quarter…

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Culture The center also completed the treatment and restoration of thousands of rare historical maps, including a map of the Arabian Peninsula originally dated 1771 - SPA

King Abdulaziz Public Library’s Restoration Center Preserves over 10,800 Heritage Collections

The Restoration Center at the King Abdulaziz Public Library has marked a milestone after restoring and treating 10,861 items from the library's collections,…

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Culture The project supports Saudi Vision 2030 targets to preserve national heritage. SPA

Saudi Heritage Commission Documents 180 Historic Landmarks in Riyadh's Urban Landscape

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission, in cooperation with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and Riyadh Municipality, has completed the registration and coding…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture People walk past the former ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) building, a building on the Gdynia Modernism Trail, at the intersection of 10 Lutego Street and 3 Maja Street in Gdynia, Poland, July 25, 2026. (Reuters)

Gdynia, Poland’s Interwar Modernist Port City, Wins UNESCO Heritage Status

The center of the modernist Baltic ‌port city of Gdynia, built almost from scratch during the two decades between World War One and World War Two, was…

Culture This undated file picture provided by Japan's Jiji Press news agency on July 27, 2026 shows Japanese author Keigo Higashino in Tokyo. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP)

Japanese Author Keigo Higashino Dies Aged 68

Japanese mystery fiction author Keigo Higashino has died aged 68, his publisher said on Monday. Higashino wrote more than 100 books after his debut in 1985…

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Culture Museums in Taif continue to enrich the Kingdom's cultural and tourism landscape. (SPA)

Taif Museums Offer Visitors a Journey Through Saudi Arabia's Heritage

Museums in Taif continue to enrich the Kingdom's cultural and tourism landscape by preserving national heritage and offering visitors immersive experiences…

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Culture Visitors stand at the Prionia trailhead on Mount Olympus in northern Greece, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

UNESCO Adds France's D-Day Landing Beaches, Greece's Mount Olympus to World Heritage List

World War II’s D-Day landing beaches in northern France, the iconic Mount Olympus in Greece and the ancient Japanese capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara were among…

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Culture  Children jump in the ocean in the former dhow port of Kalaweni, opposite the Grand Mosque, in Moroni's historic Medina on July 17, 2026. (AFP)

Six Ancient Comoros Medinas Join UNESCO's Heritage List

UNESCO on Saturday added six centuries-old medinas in the Comoros -- once historic sultanates along Indian Ocean trading routes -- to its World Heritage List,…

Culture  In this picture made available by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Friday, July 24, 2026, part of the restored ceiling of the Bakery House is displayed at the Pompeii Archaeological site. (Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP)

Pompeii Archaeologists Reconstruct Frescoed Ceiling of a Banquet Hall

Archaeologists in Pompeii, the ancient city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, have unveiled the partially reconstructed frescoed ceiling vault…

Culture A Palestinian visitor takes a photo at the Roman historical site in the West Bank town of Sebastia, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP)

UNESCO Adds West Bank Site and Lebanese Castles to World Heritage List Despite Israeli Objections

A United Nations committee voted Friday to inscribe a major archaeological site in the West Bank and a set of castles in southern Lebanon as World Heritage…

Culture Saudi Visual Arts Commission Organizes Intermix Residency Open Studio Event for the Public

Saudi Visual Arts Commission Organizes Intermix Residency Open Studio Event for the Public

Saudi Arabia's Visual Arts Commission invited the public to the Open Studio of the Intermix Residency at Studio I08, JAX District, Diriyah, on July 28, 29, and…

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Culture  Roman-era columns stand at an archaeological site, which was lightly damaged in an Israeli strike nearby, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP)

Ancient Lebanese City of Tyre Added to Heritage Danger List

Tyre, an ancient Phoenician city in southern Lebanon bombarded by Israel over recent months, was added Tuesday to the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in…

Culture Heritage Commission, Makkah Region Development Authority Sign MoU to Protect Heritage

Heritage Commission, Makkah Region Development Authority Sign MoU to Protect Heritage

The Heritage Commission signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Makkah Region Development Authority aimed at strengthening cooperation in…

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Culture  Louvre's President Christophe Leribault and France's Culture Minister Catherine Pegard open the door of the gallery during the reopening to the public of the Apollo Gallery, where French crown jewels worth 88 million euros were stolen in 2025 in a brazen heist, at the Musee du Louvre in Paris on July 22, 2026. (AFP)

Louvre Reopens Apollo Gallery After a Brazen Heist, but No Jewels on Display

The Louvre's Apollo gallery on Wednesday reopened to the public for the first time since last year's crown jewels heist. The collections and precious jewels…

Culture A view of Chester Crown Court. (English Heritage)

Smartphone Light Helps Archeologist Find Remains of Medieval Castle

Archaeologists have found an 800-year-old section of a medieval castle beneath Chester Crown Court, stumbling upon the discovery using little more than the…

Culture  The site features a fortified city wall extending approximately 235 meters in length and 220 meters in width  - SPA

Al-Ukhdood Archaeological Site Draws Over 17,500 Visitors in First Half of 2026

The Al-Ukhdood Archaeological Site in Najran Region attracted 17,744 visitors during the first half of 2026, maintaining its standing as one of the Kingdom's…

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Culture Archaeological coins discovered in AlUla Governorate offer material evidence of the region's vibrant economic history. (SPA)

Ancient Coins of AlUla Bear Witness to Centuries of Economic Prosperity

Archaeological coins discovered in AlUla Governorate offer material evidence of the region's vibrant economic history, documenting its role as a civilizational…

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