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‘Ithra’ Wins King Salman Charter for Architecture, Urbanism Award

Ithra director Abdullah Al-Rashid said the achievement reflects ongoing efforts to design a building with a distinctive architectural identity - SPA
Ithra director Abdullah Al-Rashid said the achievement reflects ongoing efforts to design a building with a distinctive architectural identity - SPA
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‘Ithra’ Wins King Salman Charter for Architecture, Urbanism Award

Ithra director Abdullah Al-Rashid said the achievement reflects ongoing efforts to design a building with a distinctive architectural identity - SPA
Ithra director Abdullah Al-Rashid said the achievement reflects ongoing efforts to design a building with a distinctive architectural identity - SPA

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has won the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award in the “built projects” category during the award's inaugural ceremony, which was organized by the Architecture and Design Commission in Riyadh.
Ithra director Abdullah Al-Rashid said the achievement reflects ongoing efforts to design a building with a distinctive architectural identity that contributes to enriching the cultural life in the Kingdom, SPA reported.
He stated that the award-winning building is distinguished by its architectural design, which harmonizes with the local environment, using modern and sustainable construction materials.
The building was designed to be environmentally friendly by incorporating renewable energy technologies and highly efficient water management, Al-Rashid noted.
He also said that the award underscores the status of Ithra as a leading cultural institution, contributing to the enhancement of the Kingdom's architectural and cultural identity as well as continuing to offer an exceptional educational and cultural experience to visitors through this unique architectural building.

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Stonehenge’s ‘Altar Stone’ Originally Came from Scotland, Not Wales, New Research Shows

The world heritage site of Stonehenge is seen in Wiltshire, England on Dec. 17, 2013. (AP)
The world heritage site of Stonehenge is seen in Wiltshire, England on Dec. 17, 2013. (AP)
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Stonehenge’s ‘Altar Stone’ Originally Came from Scotland, Not Wales, New Research Shows

The world heritage site of Stonehenge is seen in Wiltshire, England on Dec. 17, 2013. (AP)
The world heritage site of Stonehenge is seen in Wiltshire, England on Dec. 17, 2013. (AP)

The ancient ritual meaning of Stonehenge is still a mystery, but researchers are one step closer to understanding how the famous stone circle was created.

The unique stone lying flat at the center of the monument was brought to the site in southern England from near the tip of northeast Scotland, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Nature. It’s not clear whether the 16-foot (5-meter) stone was carried by boat or through land — a journey of more than 460 miles (740 kilometers).

“It’s a surprise that it’s come from so far away,” said University of Exeter archaeologist Susan Greaney, who was not involved in the study.

For more than a hundred years, scientists believed that Stonehenge’s central sandstone slab — long called the “altar stone” — came from much closer Wales. But a study last year by some of the same researchers showed that the stone didn’t match the geology of Wales’ sandstone formations. The actual source of the stone remained unknown until now.

For the study, the team was not permitted to chip away rocks at the site, but instead analyzed minerals in bits of rock that had been collected in previous digs, some dating back to the 1840s. They found a match in the sandstone formations of Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland, a region that includes parts of the tip of the Scottish peninsula as well as the Orkney Islands.

“That geological ‘fingerprint’ isn’t repeated in any other area of sediment in the UK,” said Aberystwyth University geologist Nick Pearce, a study co-author.

Greaney said the difficult logistics of moving the stone such a long distance show a high level of coordination and cultural connection between these two regions of ancient Britain.

Stonehenge was constructed around 5,000 years ago, with stones forming different circles brought to the site at different times. The placement of stones allows for the sun to rise through a stone “window” during summer solstice. The ancient purpose of the altar stone — which lies flat at the heart of Stonehenge, now beneath other rocks — remains a mystery.

“Stonehenge isn’t a settlement site, but a place of ceremony or ritual,” said Heather Sebire, senior curator at English Heritage, who was not involved in the study. She said that past archaeological excavations had not uncovered evidence of feasting or daily living at the site.

Previous research has shown cultural connections — such as similarities in pottery styles — between the area around Stonehenge and Scotland’s Orkney Islands. Other stones at Stonehenge came from western Wales.

While Britain is dotted with other Neolithic stone circles, “the thing that’s unique about Stonehenge is the distance from which the stones have been sourced,” said Aberystwyth University’s Richard Bevins, a study co-author.