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‘Al-Ayniya’, ‘Souq Suwaiqah’ : Historic Market Nurturing Creatives in Madinah

Souq Suwaiqah is one of the ancient markets that gained importance due to its proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
Souq Suwaiqah is one of the ancient markets that gained importance due to its proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
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‘Al-Ayniya’, ‘Souq Suwaiqah’ : Historic Market Nurturing Creatives in Madinah

Souq Suwaiqah is one of the ancient markets that gained importance due to its proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
Souq Suwaiqah is one of the ancient markets that gained importance due to its proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)

A once-historic market lay dormant for years after a fire destroyed most of it. Now, it's a thriving creative hub in Medina. This place, once reduced to ashes, has risen again, supporting artisans in crafting and selling handmade products and souvenirs.

Recently renovated, Al-Ayniya Workshops and Souq Suwaiqah now offer modern facilities to train, produce, and market crafts.

This initiative by the “Nimaa Al Madinah” foundation aims to boost economic and social development by empowering entrepreneurs through training and marketing support.

Souq Suwaiqah holds great historical significance in Medina, particularly due to its location near the Prophet’s Mosque. It has been a bustling hub for traders and shoppers, especially during religious seasons.

The market is famous for its fabric trade, along with selling gold, perfumes, and other goods.

However, in 1397 AH, a massive fire destroyed everything in the market, causing extensive damage to nearby residential areas. This tragic event silenced the once lively market, leaving a lasting memory in the city’s history, spanning over 430 years.

Lately, the old market has come back to life thanks to the Al-Ayniya and Souq Suwaiqah project. This effort includes workshops for crafts and shops with a traditional exterior.

Their products, bearing a Medina style, are popular among visitors to the city’s market, who choose them as gifts and souvenirs.

The project aims to revive the spirit of ancient markets while blending modernity with historical charm.

Led by the Nimaa Al Madinah foundation, it encourages entrepreneurship to enrich religious and cultural experiences and support Saudi Vision 2030 goals. The initiative trains and supports entrepreneurs and families, empowering them to create gifts and souvenirs for visitors to Medina.

Support for entrepreneurs, especially women, has been successful in the handmade and craft products sector.

Over three years, 3,000 women have graduated from training workshops, with about 900 empowered.

These workshops cover various crafts, and products are sold at the modern Souq Suwaiqah outlets, which pay homage to Medina’s historical markets.

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Culture

UAE Heritage Conference Recommends Documentation of Travel Literature

The conference was held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others." WAM
The conference was held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others." WAM
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UAE Heritage Conference Recommends Documentation of Travel Literature

The conference was held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others." WAM
The conference was held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others." WAM

The "Second Heritage Conference," organized by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage has issued several scientific and cultural recommendations to enhance studies on travel literature and representations of the "other" in popular heritage.

The conference held under the theme "Popular Heritage Through the Eyes of Others" took place at the Arab Heritage Center in the university city of Sharjah, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Saturday.

Participants urged a reevaluation of the writings of travelers and Orientalists using contemporary scientific criticism methodologies, WAM said.

They advocated for analytical comparisons between groups of travelers from various geographical regions and similar time periods to derive a more realistic portrayal and compare it with available local studies, it added.

According to WAM, the attendees stressed the need to establish practical laboratories for translating Western research and studies on travel literature and forming scientific committees to review untranslated travel accounts, particularly Russian works.

Among the recommendations was the proposal to extend the conference from two to three days and to publish the presented research in a scientific book.

They also suggested creating an online library featuring works of travelers and Orientalists, along with a specialized database for researchers and translators in this field.

The recommendations further called for stimulating critical studies addressing representations of the "other" in popular heritage through various approaches, including anthropology, semiotics, narratives, and post-colonial studies.

Additionally, they highlighted the need to examine the interaction between oral and narrative cultures as described by travelers, questioning the ideological and epistemological backgrounds that shaped their representations and deconstructing the positions of self and other in their writings.

"The recommendations from the Second Heritage Conference embody our vision at the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, which aims to establish awareness of the importance of reading popular heritage from multiple perspectives, especially through the writings of travelers and Orientalists,” said Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam.

“Through this conference, we sought to initiate a critical intellectual dialogue with these records, opening new horizons for understanding the self and the other, and enhancing the presence of our heritage in the global cultural sphere with a scientific spirit and objective approach,” he added.