عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

‘Remarkable’ Egyptian Presence in Ramadaniyat Exhibition at Jeddah Art Atelier

Painting by Saudi Artist Marwan Abdulhalim Radwi at the Jeddah Art Atelier.
Painting by Saudi Artist Marwan Abdulhalim Radwi at the Jeddah Art Atelier.
TT
TT

‘Remarkable’ Egyptian Presence in Ramadaniyat Exhibition at Jeddah Art Atelier

Painting by Saudi Artist Marwan Abdulhalim Radwi at the Jeddah Art Atelier.
Painting by Saudi Artist Marwan Abdulhalim Radwi at the Jeddah Art Atelier.

The 14th edition of the Ramadaniyat Exhibition opened at the Jeddah Art Atelier, on April 3, with a remarkable Egyptian presence displaying over 60 works inspired by the spirit of Islamic civilization and arts, reflecting various intellectual views, and embodying the Islamic architecture and decorations. The artworks include pieces of Ramadan-inspired Arabic calligraphy and some Quran verses.

“The exhibition is running until the end of the holy month and represents an annual tradition through which the Jeddah Art Atelier brings the works of the best Arab artists to the city,” said Hisham Kandil, director of Jeddah Art Atelier. “Ramadaniyat features a wide variety of works that revolve around the spirituality of the holy month, the popular folklore in its different elements and values, and some modern topics. The event also includes a cultural evening hosting many artists and critics,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Displaying over 150 works, the exhibition boasts a painting by Esteemed Artist Abdulhalim Radwi, pioneer of the contemporary art movement in Saudi Arabia, and four works by the late prominent Artist Fahad Al-Hejailan, in addition to the works of an elite of Saudi artists including Abdullah Hamas, Abdullah Nawawi, Abdullah Idris, Fahd Khalif, Mohammed al-Rabat, Abdulrahman al-Maghrabi, Mohammed al-Shehri, Mohammed al-Jad, Bassem al-Sharki, Mohammed al-A’jam, Fauzia Abdullatif, Ola Hijazi, Sahar Anani, and Thamer al-Rabat.

According to Kandil, this year’s edition of the exhibition marks a “powerful comeback of Artist Marwan Abdulhalim Radwi, the eldest son of Abdulhalim Radwi, after a long break.”

From Egypt, Artist Izzedine Naguib takes part with works that highlight the Egyptian values and heritage, depicting the face of modest human and nature. “Ramadaniyat is one of many great exhibitions that the Jeddah Art Atelier insists on holding every year to celebrate the holy month,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

This year’s edition is witnessing a remarkable participation of artists known for their unique creative personalities in the art circles in Egypt and the Arab world, according to Zakariya Ahmed al-Kadi, photography professor and former vice dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Minia University (Upper Egypt), who said he is happy to be part of the event.

His works reflect the ambiances of Ramadan in the popular Egyptian community, and recalls details from the popular Egyptian childhood such as the swings and clowns, in addition to landscapes of houses and lanes in old neighborhoods.

As usual, his paintings show a significant human and expressive charge that focuses on the popular Egyptian heritage. “I celebrate this heritage because it is an integral part of our national identity, and has many inspiring elements,” Kadi said.

Egyptian society celebrates many social and spiritual events in joyful ambiances, which has always prompted artists to depict them in their artistic expressions.

“In ancient times, Egyptians used to join the Sufi convoys known for their flags and chants. Even nowadays, we still see carnivals and celebrations in the streets with lights and decorations, and around mosques with their domes and minarets surrounded by colorful lights. On the spiritual level, worshipers flock to perform Tarawih prayers, and neighbors exchange plates of sweets and food,” he explained.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Czech Republic Marks New Temperature Record at 40.6C

A woman sits in the shade during a hot, sunny day at Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, 27 June 2026. (EPA)
A woman sits in the shade during a hot, sunny day at Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, 27 June 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Czech Republic Marks New Temperature Record at 40.6C

A woman sits in the shade during a hot, sunny day at Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, 27 June 2026. (EPA)
A woman sits in the shade during a hot, sunny day at Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, 27 June 2026. (EPA)

The Czech Republic recorded its highest-ever temperature on Saturday, with a reading of 40.6C at a weather station in Doksany north of Prague, the national meteorological service (CHMI) said.

The new high beat a previous record of 40.4C, set in 2012 in Dobrichovice southwest of the capital, CHMI added.

"Temperatures are still rising mildly so this may not be the final value," CHMI said on X, adding it would publish a full summary of temperatures later in the day.

Like much of Europe, the Czech Republic has been grappling with a heatwave for the past two weeks.

CHMI said the heat is expected to peak on Sunday with temperatures expected to get close or even exceed 41C.

It added that Saturday marked the first time a temperature above 40C had been recorded in June.

Streets in a southern district of Prague were unusually empty on Saturday, according to an AFP journalist, as Czechs opted to stay home, at swimming pools, in parks or air-conditioned spaces, or headed to the countryside for the scorching weekend.

Prague's public transport operator said it had reduced tram speeds to 40 kilometers per hour -- and to 10 kilometers per hour under bridges -- due to the risk of overhead wires warping in the heat.

Water trucks have been spraying streets across the country to cool urban areas and help reduce ground-level ozone levels.

Several festivals and other public events have also installed misting systems to help cool crowds.

Varieties

Denmark Records Hottest Day on Record at 37C

A woman uses a fan during the heatwave in Copenhagen, Denmark, 26 June 2026. (EPA)
A woman uses a fan during the heatwave in Copenhagen, Denmark, 26 June 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Denmark Records Hottest Day on Record at 37C

A woman uses a fan during the heatwave in Copenhagen, Denmark, 26 June 2026. (EPA)
A woman uses a fan during the heatwave in Copenhagen, Denmark, 26 June 2026. (EPA)

Denmark recorded its highest temperature on record on Saturday, the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) said.

Around 2:00 pm (1200 GMT), DMI said in a post to X that "with 36.6C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since measurements began in 1874,"

With a sense of foreboding, it noted "the day isn't over yet..."

"The record lasted exactly one hour," DMI said in a later post.

"Now 37.0C has been measured at Odum north of Aarhus. And counting..."

The previous record temperature in the Scandinavian country was 36.4C which was recorded in August 1975, according to DMI.

DMI had warned that the record could be broken as a heatwave swept over the Scandinavian country, with media showing images of Danes around the country trying to cool off at beaches or along docks in the cities.

The record coincided with the opening of the Roskilde music festival, and one attendant told public broadcaster DR that dragging his luggage to the campsite was "unbearable".

DR reported that the festival had set up water stations for the some 50,000 festival attendees.

Peter Tanev, meteorologist for broadcaster TV2, noted that for years scientists had anticipated that the record would be broken.

"We've been aware that the risk would be there -- among other things because of global warming," Tanev said in a comment.

"The question right now is, how long will this record stand. It's probably only a matter of time before we reach 40 degrees in Denmark," Tanev wrote.

In neighboring Sweden, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) also warned that temperatures in the south of Sweden could reach 36C or 37C in some places.

Varieties

Thousands of Vespas Swarm Rome’s Historic Center to Mark Iconic Scooter’s 80th Anniversary

Vespa enthusiasts parade in front of the Colosseum during celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Vespa scooter, in Rome, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP)
Vespa enthusiasts parade in front of the Colosseum during celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Vespa scooter, in Rome, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Thousands of Vespas Swarm Rome’s Historic Center to Mark Iconic Scooter’s 80th Anniversary

Vespa enthusiasts parade in front of the Colosseum during celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Vespa scooter, in Rome, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP)
Vespa enthusiasts parade in front of the Colosseum during celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Vespa scooter, in Rome, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP)

More than 10,000 Vespas putt-putt-putted around the Colosseum and past the Roman Forum on Saturday, marking the 80th anniversary of the iconic scooter.

Enthusiasts came from all over; the AP spoke to people from across continental Europe, northern England, San Francisco, Australia’s Gold Coast, the Philippines and more. Vespa-borne visitors converged on the Eternal City’s cobblestone streets to celebrate a brand they likewise view as timeless. If for only a day, Ferrari and Ducati were forgotten as the little Vespa left them in its dust.

“The passion for Vespa is for the Italian style, freedom, the ’60s,” said Natalie Dunand, a retiree from France who was celebrating her own 61st birthday, too. “I love it.”

The two-wheeled vehicle to provoke a smile Made world-famous by the film “Roman Holiday” in 1953, when Gregory Peck gave Audrey Hepburn a romantic lift through Rome’s center, Vespas have since featured in others, including “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and more recently the animated “Luca.”

With curved lines evoking a bygone era, plus an ability to produce smiles among onlookers, Vespa — which means “wasp” in Italian — is to two-wheeled transport what the Volkswagen Beetle is to cars.

Its invention was a bit of chance as Italy rebuilt from the rubble after World War II. Piaggio, a major aircraft manufacturer that saw its Pontedera factory destroyed by bombings, had to change gears. Downshifting considerably, Piaggio started churning out scooters.

Women were among initial target clients, according to Davide Zanolini, Piaggio’s executive vice president of marketing, since they could ride them while wearing long skirts and without showing their legs. That's reflected in the Vespa's design.

“The shape, the elegance. This very charming attitude of Vespa is much more of a lady than a man,” Zanolini told The Associated Press in an interview.

That little two-wheeler helped kickstart Italy’s economy, and soon enough they were everywhere.

An AP article from 1950 said that Vespas had become so prevalent that their “staccato exhaust racket” had downtown Rome sounding like the Indy 500.

“There probably isn’t a noisier scooter in all the world,” it said. “Scooters darting loudly around Rome are said to impress motor-minded Americans as strongly as St. Peter’s or the Colosseum. The scooter quickly teaches visitors to look four ways at once at street crossings.”

Such scenes have again become commonplace since Vespa aficionados started arriving on Thursday, flooding streets all over the city and with traveling groups making their presence known in matching T-shirts.

The parking lot outside Rome’s Stadium of the Marbles on Thursday had rows upon rows of Vespas of all makes from the past eight decades. It was like a motorcycle rally — except adorable. Some Vespas featured flowers and stuffed animals.

Dunand’s Westie terrier rode behind her, its fur cut short to cope with the heat. A man from Tokyo, with his 8-year-old daughter behind him, swapped his hometown club's banner with an Italian. Others traded stickers. And the Vespa logo tattooed on a German man’s meaty left calf appeared next to three words in flowery cursive: “La Dolce Vita” — The Sweet Life.

Aficionados spoke about how the brand taps into nostalgia for a certain time, even among those who weren’t alive then. Many also noted that they traded bigger motorcycles for nimbler and more manageable Vespas because they’re lighter and automatic, with the accelerator on the hand grip.

“You get on, twist, go. Doddle. Easy,” said Andrew Walton, a 59-year-old truck driver who bought his first Vespa almost 20 years ago and never looked back. He had just spent eight days riding from Newcastle, first with a ferry to Rotterdam then following the Rhine River through Germany to Austria’s "Romantic Road", and finally down along Italy’s coast.

Buy all the accessories in Vespa Village

Once Rome’s mayor cut the ribbon at the Stadium of the Marbles, visitors streamed in singing, chanting, waving flags. Many made a beeline for the gift shop, where they could snap up anything from Vespa jackets and hats to Vespa blankets, Vespa water bottles and Vespa umbrellas. But most early comers had their eyes on the limited-edition helmet, with “80 Years of an Icon” emblazoned on its side.

A photo retrospective showed Vespas in classic scenes — couples picnicking in a flowering field, seaside escapes with bikinis and a beachball, road trips under the Mediterranean sun — plus others one might not imagine, like explorer Soren Nielsen reaching the Arctic Circle on a Vespa in 1963.

There were also pristine Vespas from Piaggio's collection displayed like posing models to admire, and soaking up attention usually directed toward the nearby marbles with idealized physiques.

The company has sold about 20 million Vespas worldwide since 1946, and today sells in 110 countries, Zanolini said. In the US, they're popular in Florida and California and gaining traction in some other places like Austin. But it’s still a niche product in America, he said.

Burke Sandman, whose family owns a 108-year-old car dealership in Indiana, told the AP in Rome that he bought his first Vespa about two decades ago — captivated by its sidecar. He quickly realized there were no resellers around and got in touch with Vespa to get in the game. He has since moved about 1,000 of them across the US, snagging 15 for himself.

“No one ever says anything bad about a Vespa. You know, it’s crazy,” Sandman said inside the Vespa Village. “Everyone that trades other brands for a Vespa, they never go back. It’s just something about it. And everyone likes Italian stuff. I get a lot of people that come back from Europe, and they’ve got the bug.”