Saudi Heritage Commission Organizes Scientific Symposium on Al-Faw Archaeological Area

The Saudi Heritage Commission said it will hold the "Scientific Symposium on Cultural Landscape Research on the Al-Faw Archaeological Area.” SPA
The Saudi Heritage Commission said it will hold the "Scientific Symposium on Cultural Landscape Research on the Al-Faw Archaeological Area.” SPA
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Saudi Heritage Commission Organizes Scientific Symposium on Al-Faw Archaeological Area

The Saudi Heritage Commission said it will hold the "Scientific Symposium on Cultural Landscape Research on the Al-Faw Archaeological Area.” SPA
The Saudi Heritage Commission said it will hold the "Scientific Symposium on Cultural Landscape Research on the Al-Faw Archaeological Area.” SPA

The Saudi Heritage Commission said Tuesday it will hold the "Scientific Symposium on Cultural Landscape Research on the Al-Faw Archaeological Area.”

The symposium aims to raise awareness about the area, and highlight its historical and archaeological significance, and the ongoing research and excavation projects that began with the late Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Ansary, a pioneer in the study of archaeology in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom successfully inscribed the Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area in Riyadh Region on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site of outstanding universal value to humanity, during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi on July 22-31, making it the eighth Saudi site to achieve this recognition.

The symposium showcases the contributions of King Saud University in Al-Faw archaeological area, reflecting the commission's partnerships with public, private, and non-profit sectors.

It also explores Saudi Arabia's historical and cultural importance, emphasizing the need to enrich the academic field with cutting-edge archaeological studies, and facilitate the exchange of expertise and insight in the field.

The commission seeks to raise public awareness about the country's extensive archaeological heritage, which spans millennia.

Field visits to the area will be organized for speakers and participants in the symposium, and 22 research papers on topics such as the origins of the Al-Faw archaeological area and its social and economic history will be presented for discussion in five sessions.



Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)

In his seaside workshop on the Greek island of Lesbos, Nikos Kouvdis uses ancient techniques to create pottery pieces that have recently been honored with inclusion in UNESCO's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Kouvdis, 70, and his family have kept an old technique alive near the once humming pottery hub of Mandamados, just as the slow and careful methods of the past have been largely eclipsed by factory machines.

Their pottery is among the last in the Mediterranean to be produced from clay in local soil, using a traditional kiln with olive pits as fuel, with the pieces painted with natural lime.

"It's an honor for me," Kouvdis said with regard to the UNESCO recognition of his work.

He said a mechanized press can work at 10 times the speed of an individual potter. "There’s no continuity. There’s no space for (our) method to continue."

Still, he continues to produce individual pots on an outcrop of land overlooking the Aegean Sea.

"Above all, it’s a passion - trying to create something that fulfils you," he said.